The Unwanted Chance
by Death Can't Be Trusted
Summary: Atemu had lost the Ceremonial Duel. Before he could enter the afterlife, his chance was cut off. Now he is forced to live in the modern world as a mortal, to live out his days. His only drive to live? Answers from Kaiba, and to find whoever interrupted his chance to the afterlife.
1. Afterlife Interrupted

Death: I AM BACK. And I don't understand my brain, but I learned to just go with the flow instead of force myself to write a story that words fail to come to me for.

I am hoping I got Kaiba down right, I usually struggle with his personality but I think I finally got him down.

So, here we go. I'm back with Yu-Gi-Oh for I don't know how long. Let's see this to the end, shall we?

Chapter One Afterlife Interrupted

=3=

It was the end of the duel, Yugi had won.

And yet, with the joy, there was sorrow. For the majority of them, it meant saying goodbye. It felt like it was too early, as though none of them have spent enough time with him before his departure to the afterlife.

Somehow, the group managed to send him off with praise. Despite the tears, they were smiling, as he made his way closer to the opened door. His clothes changed, his cape flowed, and he continued to stand tall and proud like the pharaoh he was.

However, someone else had unforseen plans.

Seconds before he entered through the door, suddenly the ground shook beneath their feet. Atemu stopped short, just as maniacal laughter echoed through the air.

He whirled around, eyes intense and ready to fight.

"Who is there, and what is your purpose!?" He challenged.

All he received for an answer were more laughter. It was ominous, and definitely male. The ground shook more violently as cracks formed and spread. Atemu glanced at his friends, and immediately he sprung into action without hesitation.

"Aibou!"

He bolted away from the door towards his partner. Yugi hadn't backed away from the middle of where he had just dueled against the pharaoh like the others had. He tried to run, but lost his footing as parts of the ground lifted into the air as others went downward and he tripped.

With little precious seconds before the ground fell under, Atemu reached out to Yugi. He lifted the smaller teen up before flinging him to Joey and Tristan. The three collapsed on the ground, and Yugi lifted his head in time to see the ground collapse where Atemu was standing.

His heart stopped at seeing the smile on his face.

"Atemu!" Yugi cried out as Joey and Tristan pulled him towards the stairs. Yugi struggled with all his might, but he couldn't stand the chance of breaking free. Tears flowed down his cheeks with more pain than before.

 _Forgive me, Aibou. This wasn't how I wanted to say goodbye._

Atemu fell, and he accepted his fate. He closed his eyes as he waited for a quick death. He didn't hear the shouts, or footsteps running towards him. Time slowed as his ears heard nothing but his own heartbeat.

Then a hand grabbed his, and he stopped falling. He opened his eyes and met deep blues with surprise. A section Kaiba was kneeling on gave way, and with quick reflexes he grabbed hold of the edge with his free hand.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba screamed as Rashid pulled him back.

The head of Kaiba Corp. never broke eye contact with the pharaoh, even as his hand was slowly slipping. Atemu stared with a mix of surprise, confusion, and guilt.

 _You didn't have to save me._

The look in the others eyes intensified tenfold, as if offended. Atemu felt the heat of the glare and for the first time he couldn't form words. In all the times they faced off in a duel, this was the first time he was at a loss for words. And so the first to find his voice was the savior.

"Don't you _dare_ give me that look when we're not even dead, yet." Kaiba spat, and before Atemu could respond he was suddenly swung over the edge onto safety.

"Kaiba!" Atemu didn't let go of his hand. A part of him knew he couldn't even if he wanted to. Rival or not, it was against his nature to abandon someone in need of his help. And together they pulled the taller up.

Without exchanging any words or glances they bolted after the group. They caught up to Tristan, who had just finished picking up Ryou on his back and awkwardly ran up the stairs. With a growl Kaiba pushed Tristan to run faster, and Atemu steadied his friend from tripping.

They cleared the entrance seconds before it collapsed. Out of breath and heart racing, Atemu collapsed into the hot sand, one of his hands tightened into a fist with a bunch of sand in between his fingers. Atemu was on the verge of collapsing face first from lack of air. A strong hand held him up by his upper arm to keep him steady. Atemu recognized it as the same hand that saved him earlier.

Atemu felt numb.

Everything happened too fast for him to comprehend. He accepted his fate the moment he knew he wouldn't make it safety. He had saved Yugi, and that was enough for him.

Then why did _Kaiba_ of all people save him?

Atemu thought back to the intense look Kaiba gave him when they were barely hanging onto the edge. The determination that emanated from Kaiba was normal, but the circumstances are what threw Atemu for the loop.

As he regulated his breathing, the pharaoh raised his head up to meet Kaiba's gaze. The intensity was still there, and like before he was somehow still guarded. Kaiba was a master in masks, but his eyes always hinted enough for Atemu to read him.

And under that gaze, despite the heat of the sun, Atemu felt his blood freeze. He felt guilty, but for what or why, he didn't understand. He took a wild guess was accepting his fate in the fall in order to save Yugi, but not himself.

The grip on his arm tightened, as if Kaiba read his mind and that was his answer. Atemu winced, but didn't voice the pain or discomfort. Instead his eyes met Kaiba's silent challenge, hardening into the once great pharaoh he was. And seeing the hint of the King of Games settled Kaiba enough to loosen his arm before completely letting him go.

The moment he let go, two small people rushed over.

"Nii-sama!" Mokuba held his brother tightly around the middle, of which Kaiba only responded with a hand in his little brother's hair.

"You didn't think I would die, did you? I'm a Kaiba, Mokuba." He scoffed, playing off he wasn't affected at all from the turn of events.

"Pharaoh!" Yugi nearly tackled said man over, and he returned the hug with just as much enthusiasm.

"Aibou, I'm fine. We all made it." Atemu tried to shake off his shock with a laugh, but Yugi saw right through him.

"You didn't even try to save yourself! You, you threw me to safety and then you smiled at me before you fell! You didn't even try to reach for safety!" Yugi sniffled as he pulled away to glare as he reprimanded the other.

"Aibou, I was smiling because I got you to safety. But before I moved, the ground gave way under me. Do you think I would leave you like that?" Atemu covered up his lie, and the fact he didn't have time to move was enough to calm the others down.

"Aye, ya looked like yer gonna be toast! Until Kaiba here saved yer ass! Which uh...why did ya save him?" Joey eyed him suspiciously, of which Kaiba scoffed.

"Don't go getting any ideas. I didn't save him for anyone's sake. I still haven't had the chance to duel him, now that it's _him_ who is my true rival instead of Yugi." Kaiba had his usual tone of arrogance, but when Atemu caught his eye and read that he was more relieved than gloating.

"C'mon! Ya gotta have a heart, right guys? He totally saved Atemu! Just admit it, Kaiba. Ya got a heart in there. Somewhere." Joey wasn't going to accept that answer.

"Don't get your panties in a twist, Wheeler." Kaiba glared.

"Why I outa-" Joey made to move closer, but two arms grabbed him from either side.

"Lay off, Joey, he's not worth it." Tristan struggled to maintain Ryou on his back and holding Joey with enough strength he didn't break through.

"Seriously, Wheeler, he's just messing with you on purpose." Duke commented.

 _Even_ _if he's bluffing, he still saved me._

"Well, I suppose I should thank you, anyway. I appreciate what you did, no matter the reason behind it." Atemu stood up on shaky legs, but he managed to stand tall and head high like he was all right, and sent his rival a smile.

For a moment Kaiba was stunned. After a minute he looked away with a 'humph'. He wasn't used to being smiled at by anyone but his brother.

"Are you okay, Atemu? You seem a little shaken." Tea was in mother hen mode.

"Yeah, you kinda looked like you were about to pass out." Mokuba stated his earlier observation.

"I am fine, just overwhelmed." Atemu assured her as he helped Yugi to his feet.

"I can imagine. But you've always been the one to recover fast from any life or death situation." Yugi commented.

"Comes with the territory, I guess."

"Yeah, but...now what? You can't go back. The door was destroyed." Tristan pointed at the entrance, which was mostly covered by sand now.

Everyone stared at the entrance with stunned silence.

"Without the door, you will live your life out here as a mortal until it is time for your departure." Ishizu broke the silence, her voice was solemn.

 _There's only one choice, now._

"Then I guess I don't really have a choice. So it looks like I get to stay for a little longer." Atemu was taking the sudden change with stride on the outside. On the inside he was a storm of confusion, as a part of him was still taking all of this in.

"But, then who would have wanted you to stay? That voice wasn't evil Bakura, and we found Ryou passed out at the stairs." Yugi voiced the same concern the others had.

Eyes turned to Ryou, who was still out cold.

"I don't recall having other enemies left to challenge me." Atemu was disturbed.

The thought someone would interrupt his chance of going to the afterlife after his loss at the Ceremonial Duel angered him. He lost fair and square, therefore he should have been given the chance to rest in peace. On top of all of that, Yugi's life was in danger made him even more pissed off. Whoever did this, they wouldn't get off lightly.

 _Easy, I can't allow vengeance rule my heart._

"And they don't even bother to reveal themselves? Pathetic. If someone wanted to make a statement, it's better to show up yourself." Kaiba sneered, apparently even he could barely contain the anger boiling in him for Mokuba's life potentially in danger.

"So, with you staying with us, I guess we just have to figure out how to introduce you to life in modern world!" Yugi was the first to be excited.

"Speaking of, how do we introduce me as one of you without raising suspicion?" Atemu wasn't sure how to go about advancing from here.

"Well, we can say you're a long lost grandson of mine, from my days as a young archeologist!" Solomon spoke up, but then coughed. "Preferably before my marriage, so it wouldn't seem too awkward."

"You would do that for me?" Atemu was taken aback.

"Well, of course! You've done so much for us, and little Yugi. This is the least I can do to help. I get another grandson! And this means I get more help around the shop." The old man grinned.

"All right! We'll take care of the paperwork of your citizenship and all of that for Egypt. I'm not sure if we have the resources for any papers for Japan, though. Maybe we can say you're on scholarship?" Marik was optimistic.

"I'll have the papers for Japan taken care of. On the condition of the next tournament my company will be hosting, you will participate." Kaiba laid the offer on the table. And of course he had a condition to his offer, Atemu wasn't surprised in the very least.

"When will this tournament take place?" He needed to know enough to prepare.

"It won't be for a while, yet. I'm in the middle of a project, and I would like to finish it before the tournament. But if my calculations are correct, and as long as there are no complications with my project, then the tournament should take place in about six months to a year from now. That should be plenty of time for you to prepare."

He was silently challenging him, and Atemu wasn't one to back down. He smirked, and the gleam in his eyes said it all before he spoke with a thumbs up.

"Then I shall participate. I look forward to another one of your tournaments, Kaiba. And you would allow my friends to participate if they so wish, I assume?" He was glancing over at Joey and Yugi, the taller of which did a fist bump in the air.

"Yeah, Kaiba! It ain't gonna be like last time, ya hear? I'm gonna be a part of it, and there's nothin' ya gonna do about it!" Joey was pumped up.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Mokuba will be sure you're listed. Now, if you will excuse us, we're going home." Kaiba twirled around and headed towards his private jet.

"Hey, wait! We don't have a way to get home!" Tristan yelled after the brothers.

"Not my problem!" The eldest brother continued walking.

Within a matter of minutes the engine started up and then they were off. The group watched until the Blue Eyes White Dragon shaped jet was out of sight. It was at this moment Ryou started coming to, and he looked around, confused and disoriented.

"Where am I? What happened? And...is that pharaoh? Why are you dressed like that?" Ryou rubbed his eyes to better see that he wasn't hallucinating.

Atemu glanced down and realized for the first time he was in his ancient pharaoh garb. Feeling sheepish, Atemu ran a hand through his hair.

"It's a long story. But good news is, I finally have my memories! And the items were destroyed." He summarized the basic important events.

"That's great news! So then you remember your name then?" Ryou beamed, his face lit up.

"Yeah, my name is Atemu. And it looks like I'll be staying among you guys a little longer." Atemu mirrored the pale boy's smile.

It was here the group recounted the whole ordeal to Ryou. Marik and his siblings offered to house them for a while as they worked on Atemu's papers. They were even kind enough to help them head back home to Domino City.

A week later, Atemu stepped off a plane surrounded by friends and family. He stepped off with a new legal name of Atemu Mutou, and the hope that maybe this wouldn't be so bad to live a little longer. He stared at the city that had become his home in such a short time.

He couldn't help but stare at the KC Tower that stood high in the city. Atemu was still unsure how to feel about Kaiba right now. A part of him was grateful, but overall he was confused and he still didn't understand why Kaiba went to great lengths to save him.

"You okay, Atemu?" Yugi brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, just couldn't help but take in the sight, Aibou. It's so strange, how this city was a new beginning for me when you solved the puzzle. But now it's once more a new beginning, and this time I have a body and a name." Atemu smiled at him.

"Yeah, it is strange. But this time, you won't be alone! You've got all of us!" Yugi beamed with a wide smile.

"You can count on us!" Tristan and Joey mirrored.

"So, you excited for this new adventure?" Tea blushed a little at him, and Atemu brushed it off.

"Of course. I'm always ready."

 _I suppose new beginnings will start here once more._


	2. Double Guessing

Chapter Two Double Guessing

=3=

Falling into a routine wasn't too hard for Atemu. Thus far, society believes him to be an unknown grandson of Solomon Mutou from his young days spent in Egypt having wild nights. Although it made things easier for his acceptance, he was rather uncomfortable with the amount of girls and guys following him like crazy.

He asked Yugi why random strangers obsessed over someone they don't know, of which his partner laughed and said something along the lines of handsome foreigner. While Atemu still didn't understand, he decided not to inquire anyone else on the matter. Solomon was happy with the increase of customers due to everyone wishing to catch a glimpse of Atemu.

After two months he felt more of a display item than actually working for the old man. Most of the time he dealt with the customers, suggesting products on the shelves and answering any questions they had. Which most irritatingly, was if he had a girlfriend.

Atemu grew tired of the routine. He found the days long and, well, boring. Nothing challenged his mind, not even when he was the game tester to whatever new games were introduced to the shelves. Any game presented to him and he could easily beat it within minutes, no matter the difficulty.

Dueling against Yugi and his friends even lost its flavor for him. He often found himself spending less time with everyone and wandering around the city after the shop closed. Once everyone figured out he was just wandering, they started inviting him out more to random places.

He didn't mind, of course. But eventually this became tedious as well. So he stopped wandering around in the hopes of not being dragged everywhere by his friends. Atemu adored them, and he knew they were trying their best. But he needed some time for himself to figure a few things out on his own.

Eventually, Atemu started to do more than just work at the shop. He learned how to cook, and thus he became the main chef around the house. And thus he found another routine he quickly grew tired of.

Wake up early, cook breakfast, walk Yugi to school, then come back and work at the shop with Solomon. During this time, Kaiba had done his part of the deal and sent him the papers he promised to him. However, instead of sending them through the mail, he showed up at the shop in person.

It was a normal day for Atemu until that point.

He had been going through inventory when he heard the bell ring. Atemu did a quick glance around and noticed Solomon wasn't at the front of the shop. Which meant the old man was either in the kitchen or the restroom. Both of which kept him away from the front desk for a long time. With a sigh Atemu stepped out with a fake smile.

"Welcome to the Game Shop, how may I assist...you." He stopped short upon the sight of Kaiba standing there with his silver briefcase, and suddenly he had a moment of deja vu.

"Kaiba, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Atemu quickly recovered when the other didn't immediately respond.

 _I suppose I'm not the only one who felt a blast from the past._

"I see this place hasn't changed a bit." Kaiba commented after his eyes did a once over of the shop.

"Is there a point to this? Not that I'm complaining, this is just sudden for you to show up after two months since I've been here." Atemu was very curious, but at the same time cautious.

He had worked hard to avoid recalling the event of Kaiba saving him a while back. He still didn't understand, and although he wanted answers, he knew Kaiba wouldn't outright give them. It didn't help that the event replayed in his dreams often, or he was followed by the blue eyes of Kaiba watching his every move.

"I have the papers for you. I apologise for it taking so long, I hadn't realized the amount of time went by before Mokuba made me take a break from my project." Kaiba placed his briefcase on the counter and opened it up.

"Oh, thank you. I was beginning to worry if I needed to come visit your workplace myself." The former pharaoh tried to play off he wasn't nervous.

"Cut the shit, Atemu. This isn't some duel out in the open. There's no reason for you to hide anything from me." Kaiba narrowed his eyes, his hand hovering over the papers.

 _Oh, so that's why you came here in person. What kind of game are you initiating now?_

"All right, if you want to play it like that, then I have a few questions to ask." Atemu held his ground, steadily meeting the intense gaze that for some reason unnerved him.

 _Since when did he get under my skin?_ _I should be used to his tactics by now._

"Go ahead and ask away. Can't make any promises about giving you the answers, though." Kaiba shrugged, before adding a small but important detail. "Make this quick, my break isn't very long."

 _Oh now he tells me._ _Straight to the point it is._

"Why did you save me back in Egypt?" Atemu didn't hesitate.

His violet eyes never strayed from deep blue. For a moment the pair held their gazes, as if they backed down would be admitting defeat.

 _Does everything between us have to be a challenge? Or am I just glad to have a change of routine?_

"I am not obligated to answer." Kaiba stated after a moment, his face and eyes guarded.

"It's just a simple question, Kaiba." Atemu squinted, already sensing what the other was setting up.

"My answer is too complicated to put into words you can understand."

 _Oh? That's rare. Or is he throwing me off of the answer out of embarrassment?_

"Then how about showing me?" Atemu wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"How? In a duel? As much as I would love to, I have a company to run. I only have enough time to hand these over and leave." Kaiba laughed as he pulled the papers out and handed them over.

The second they were within Atemu's hands, the CEO slammed his briefcase closed. The former pharaoh flinched from the loud noise. He hadn't been expecting such a violent action from the usually calm and collected individual in front of him.

 _He's flustered. But why_?

"Kaiba, I need answers. Why did you save me? I know you don't go out of your way to help others unless it's beneficial. But from what I saw that day, you weren't gloating about facing me in the future. You were _relieved_ , relieved that I am alive." Atemu pressed.

"And what gives you the right to assume you need answers? I'm not the only one who isn't being truthful, here. Why didn't you tell Yugi the truth? About how you accepted your death after you saved him? Did you throw the duel to let him win? Are you that ready to just up and leave without even thinking of anyone else? How selfish of you, the one person who has put _everyone_ before yourself up until that point." Kaiba defended, doing what he did best, turning the tables around.

 _You will not make this about me!_

"After all I have done, don't I have the right to be a little selfish? Is that so hard to understand? Or is it because it's _me_ that has you irritated, is that it? There is no one else as selfish as you, and when someone like me does an act of selfishness, you lose your mind."

"Ha! The fact you didn't bother to deny my theory of you throwing the duel to Yugi just proved to me that you were indeed, being selfish. And your act of selfishness is different from my own. Everything I do is for my company! With my company's success, it means a better future for Mokuba. He now has endless possibilities to live whatever life he wants. But you? You threw your life away without considering everyone else!"

Atemu felt cornered.

Perhaps it was partially because the taller leaned over the counter, using his height to his advantage to make Atemu back up against the wall. And the other is that Kaiba's words struck a chord deep within his heart. He knew in his heart of hearts, Kaiba was right. But he had pushed away the feelings of guilt, buried it and tried to forget.

And under the heated gaze of those eyes, Atemu felt naked, his soul laid bare before Anubis himself to weigh his heart with the feather of truth to judge how pure he was. He knew from the day Yugi solved the puzzle that he wasn't fully pure, and he had guessed for a long time that this was a form of punishment for not being pure.

His memories proved otherwise, but that uncomfortable feeling came back full force. He had nowhere to run from Kaiba. And even though he was terrified, he never broke eye contact with the other. Showing any sign of weakness was not his forte.

"So before you start lecturing me about being selfish, how about you look in a mirror? Maybe then you can understand a little on why I saved you, _pharaoh._ "

They were both stunned at the title.

For one, Atemu had never heard Kaiba call him that. For two, this was _Seto Fucking Kaiba._ And for just a split second Atemu saw Priest Seto come through the reincarnate. It barely registered in his brain when he was shocked at what Kaiba had called him by his old title.

Atemu smirked, and Kaiba pulled away too quickly. He was now the one unnerved.

"Welcome back, Priest Seto."

He regretted saying such a thing when he saw the torment in those eyes that haunted him in his dreams since that day. The pain was there open for the world to see for a fraction of a second before they hardened to the usual harsh glares of Kaiba's.

"That has _nothing_ to do with saving you. Do you understand? _Nothing!_ And for the record, I was going to offer you a job at my company, since I get the feeling this old dump isn't challenging enough for you. I might just reconsider this offer when you're turning this into more than it needs to be." Kaiba growled out deeply, giving Atemu the impression of a dragon in human skin.

"All I wanted were answers. Simple, wouldn't it be? But no, you had to turn the tables on me in hopes of dissuading me from seeking those answers. But I know how to read you, Kaiba. We have been rivals for long enough for me to understand you to a certain extent, and my memories of our past lives have further given me the necessary means to know you even better." Atemu leaned forward this time, but Kaiba willed himself not to step back.

"So, explain why you considered offering me a job at Kaiba Corp and why?" Atemu decided to cool the flames a little by changing the subject.

This time Kaiba smirked. Atemu blinked, suddenly unsure.

"I know how to read you better than anyone else around you. I bet you feel bored, as if the world can't offer anything challenging your way. Life used to throw everything at you, but now that you have a taste of a normal life, you start to miss the old days you're needed to stop whatever sorry excuse of a villain. And then you start to feel guilty, as you've been granted this chance against your will, and you are never one to complain about it."

Atemu was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to think, let alone form words to respond. And once again he felt cornered because everything Kaiba had just said was true.

"I see I finally rendered you speechless. Pity it's not when we're facing off in a duel, but I will settle for this. Actually, this is a lot more satisfying than a duel. The intimacy is far more intense than a duel. I feel less than a rival and more of a stranger you thought you can read and understand." Kaiba chuckled darkly.

"So you're willing to hire me out of pity, is that it?" Atemu gathered his wits, eyes narrowing as he felt offended.

"Please, you and I both know I don't do anything out of pity." The taller scoffed.

"Then why go out of your way for little old me? Even if I was growing bored, what makes you think you can storm in here and change that?"

"I saved you. Out of obligation you owe me. And, maybe I want a chance to show you how selfish you really are inside. As a bonus, all of this will lead you to the answers you seek."

"I owe you nothing. As far as I'm concerned, my debt to you is paid when I gave you my word that I will participate in your next tournament." Atemu furrowed his eyebrows.

"No, that was the condition for those papers in your hands. I didn't say it was the payment for saving you. You're not going to weasel your way out of this. Therefore you can't call all of the shots this time around."

Kaiba was baiting him, Atemu knew it. He was baiting him on the knowledge he hated owing a debt to someone, friend or foe. But a part of him wanted to take this chance with what the rewards offered. But he managed to keep himself under control, the cautious side of him always flared up whenever Kaiba was around.

 _It's not that I don't trust him, but I don't trust his reasons behind his actions._

"What kind of job will I be doing, exactly?" He inquired, trying not to sound too eager.

Kaiba smirked once more, knowing full well he finally had something going his way.

"If you accept my offer, then you will be my tech tester. In other words, you're my guinea pig to test every technology that my company is going to make."

Atemu blinked, not expecting that job. He had been thinking of something along the lines of a secretary, but this sounded more entertaining.

"So why me as a tester, exactly?" He inquired curiously.

"For one, the job can be dangerous if something went wrong with the equipment. And second, I know it will challenge you. You're like me, tackling a challenge head on just for the thrill of it. As a bonus for myself, I know you won't gloat around and reveal my company's secrets before the projects are done."

 _Guess that does make sense._

"Can I think about it, first?" Atemu wasn't used to this man's generosity without fully knowing why he went so far out of his way for this.

"You've got three days to decide. Three days from now, I will be sending Mokuba to hear your answer in the morning. If you decide yes, then he'll be taking you to headquarters. If not, then I will be heavily disappointed in you, _pharaoh._ " Kaiba wasn't phased this time with the title, but the venom in his tone made Atemu wince.

Without waiting for an answer the CEO turned and left the shop. Even though the former pharaoh could see Kaiba was pissed, he still had enough sense not to slam the front door as he left. After a tense minute of standing behind the counter, Atemu breathed.

He leaned against the counter, his mind whirling.

 _What was that?_

It felt like every other exchange between them. However, for some reason this was more personal than ever before.

"Everything all right, Atemu? I thought I heard Kaiba's voice just now." Solomon startled him, and Atemu quickly stood tall as he recollected his thoughts.

"Yes, I'm all right. And yes, Kaiba just left. He just handed me the necessary papers for staying in Japan."

 _How much did he overhear?_

Atemu knew the old man can be sneaky when he wanted to. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, he just wanted to avoid awkward questions from Solomon and Yugi.

"Oh, that's great! And what's happening in three days? My ears aren't as great as they used to be." Solomon inquired curiously.

"Oh, well in three days I have to decide whether or not to take a job he offered at Kaiba Corp." Atemu felt at ease, hoping that was all the elder overheard.

"Oho! Already moving up in the food chain, are we? Well, at least he's giving you time to decide. He sure has come a long way since we first met him. Back then, he would have given you then and there to decide before storming out." Solomon seemed pleased.

"Yeah, but he's still well...Kaiba." Atemu agreed.

"So, Solomon, you won't mind if I worked there, then?"

"Of course not! It will give you a bigger opportunity than this old shop will. And the pay in his company will be huge! You'll be set for life."

"But what about the shop? I thought you wanted my help in here." Atemu frowned.

"Atemu, I've worked here for years. I can manage by myself. You should take this chance he's given you. I doubt Kaiba will offer it a second time."

 _Or he would storm in here and demand to know why I turned it down. That's something I don't feel like dealing with._ _Regular Kaiba is a handful already._

What surprised Atemu the most was that Kaiba was so easily ready to compromise without a fuss.


	3. The Decision

Death: FORGIVE THE CONFUSION FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ MY MISTAKE OF REPLACING CHAPTER FOUR WITH THIS ONE ON ACCIDENT.

Bows* I am only human, an exhausted human with a lot of stress and this is my escape. I am writing through a phone app, and I got overly excited at 5 AM to get Chapter Four up and that must have been when the mistake happened. Please forgive me, I had to rewrite this chapter and stop my progress for chapter five. So if this seems rushed, I am sorry, I will go back over and re-edit later.

Chapter Three The Decision

=3=

"So what's this I hear of Kaiba offering you a job at his company, Atemu?" Tea questioned.

It was Friday, which meant the usual movie and sleepovers. Atemu had just finished cooking spaghetti and sat down when the brunette brought up the exact problem Atemu was trying not to think about. He sighed and sent Yugi a look.

His partner nervously fidgeted while the look in his eyes meant he was sorry, but he got overexcited to keep something as big as this from everyone.

"Yes, he offered me a job as a tech tester. Meaning I get to test all of the products his company is in the process of making right now." Atemu elaborated.

"Wait, hold up! Ya mean to say Kaiba actually came in here and offered ya a job? Like that?" Joey was immediately suspicious.

"I was shocked as well when he strolled in to hand me the papers he promised to make it to where I could stay here."

"What took him so long for handing them over?" Tristan raised an eyebrow.

"He was too caught up with work. I guess one of his projects is having problems and it's behind schedule. Mokuba forced him to take some time off when he remembered he had still yet to send me the papers." Atemu explained the situation.

"Y'know, call me crazy, but I'm startin' ta think he's tryin ta be closer to ya, pharaoh." Joey theorized in between slurps of his food.

"Mind your manners, Joey." Tristan reminded.

"But why would he befriend me now? It's not like he's ever showed any interest before." Atemu was confused.

Long ago he tried countless times to close the gap between them. He saw Kaiba as a friend, but the brunette would have none of it. His stubborn pride blinded him from seeing that he needed more than just Mokuba in his circle.

The potential was there between them.

The few and rare times they teamed up in a duel, they were an unstoppable force. Even though they weren't quite friends, the trust was there, and it showed in how well they worked exceedingly well in a tag team duel. In a way, Atemu cherished those memories because it was the only time Kaiba let his guard down well enough for them to duel efficiently.

But it never went beyond that.

At some point, Atemu stopped trying to convince Kaiba to see him as a friend. It was a waste of time when they had countless arguments that only went around in circles. So the former pharaoh dropped the issue, and it saved him and Kaiba future headaches over the matter.

"Maybe it's because he actually got to _see_ you as your own person at the Ceremonial Duel. Even he couldn't deny what he saw at that point." Tea concluded after the room went silent.

"Yeah, and then watching you about to die might have spurned his desire to try to get closer now with this chance. That's probably why he saved you, he realized that he would have lost his chance and he knew he would have regretted it." Yugi added, and suddenly it was all starting to come together.

Atemu thought over Kaiba's choice of words during their exchange earlier. He mentioned a few times Atemu accepted his death without considering everyone else. At the time, Atemu was too caught up in the moment to analyze those choice of words.

He thought it over closely. Everyone meant as in his friends, as well as Kaiba. But Atemu felt that everyone accepted the results of the duel, at least he thought they did. Maybe if he replaced everyone with _me_ , then in actuality Kaiba referred to himself rather than the others.

 _Figures he wouldn't admit he was hurt by what fate had for me. That would also explain why he was so quick to turn the argument around on me._

It was Kaiba's usual tactic when someone was too close to hit the mark. It was his natural defense, and Atemu mentally slapped himself for not remembering that little detail earlier.

"That explains his behavior a lot, then."

"Whaddya mean?" Joey blinked.

"Well, he kept changing his attitude from hot to cold, and vice versa. And he tried to turn it around on me, which he does when he feels threatened. What got me was that he was so ready to compromise at the end and give me three days to think over his offer." Atemu relayed, purposefully leaving out the details of Kaiba believing he threw his duel against Yugi.

He honestly didn't know what to think about his state of mind in that duel. He knew he gave it his all, but at the same notion he was so _ready_ to go to the afterlife. He wanted nothing more than to rest in peace after his five thousand year war.

Maybe he subconsciously threw the duel.

 _I know I didn't throw it on purpose. I wanted to push Yugi beyond his best. I wanted to see that he is ready to tackle the world without my help. That once I step through that door, I know I will be leaving him with the strength to continue on living happily._

And that was the clincher that maybe, just _maybe_ his subconscious made it where Yugi won. He tried to think of what he could have done to deter Silent Magician from finishing him off, but his mind drew a blank.

 _Whatever the case, maybe Kaiba has a point. And I feel this is what's fueling him to go out of his way to make an effort to get closer to me. I know how he hates watching someone give up, he made that very clear the first time I ever faced Slifer the Sky Dragon in a duel._

Atemu remembered that day. Everything seemed hopeless. He believed he couldn't take down an Egyptian God. He felt powerless against it.

Until Kaiba showed up.

He encouraged Atemu to stand up and face Slifer head on. It wasn't like the usual support Atemu was used to from Joey, Tristan and Tea. But Kaiba supported him in his own way. And it was enough for Atemu to find the strength to keep on fighting.

In truth, Atemu believed that was the one time Kaiba willingly made any form of effort for him outside of a tag team duel or necessity. He had hoped the CEO would keep up the effort, but was disappointed when he didn't.

 _Well, better late than never, I guess._

At long last Atemu figured out his footing with this chance he was given. With it, he was going to see where this path went and hope for the best while he waited for any sign of whoever destroyed the Millennial Door to show up.

=3=

Atemu woke up early the next early. He felt more at ease now that he had a slightly better understanding of what Kaiba wanted. And so, he decided then that he will take up Kaiba's offer.

He was in the kitchen when Yugi found him, humming along as he cooked. Atemu had slept so well the previous night that he had a giddiness in his step, and he seemed content with what he was doing rather than out of habit.

Yugi watched the former pharaoh with a smile. This was the first time he had seen the other so joyful in the short two months he lived here. The connection between them was still strong enough that he sensed the other's emotions, and he knew that Atemu was having a hard time to accept the sudden change of living once more.

 _Maybe Kaiba is the change he needed._

Yugi was eternally grateful for the CEO of Kaiba Corp to risk his own life to save Atemu, but for a while he wondered if what he did was actually the right choice. But now Atemu was coming around and ready to face whatever this life will hand him. And the source of this change was, once again, Kaiba.

 _If this is the result of those two becoming closer as friends, then I have no objections._

When Atemu was done with the eggs, Yugi took his chance to sneak up behind the other and hug him from behind. Atemu half turned with a genuine smile on his face, laughing at his partner's affection. Yugi laughed with him, and he knew in his heart what Atemu's decision was.

 _Who knows, perhaps they needed each other all along. But pride got in the way. I bet Atemu isn't the only one who has changed._

"So, wanna go shopping later for some proper work clothes? Although I can see Kaiba let you get away with your usual outfit, I don't think it'll be appropriate for certain occasions."

"Good idea, Aibou. Right now my closet is made up of leathers and whatever Marik handed over from his own closet." Atemu liked the idea of shopping.

"Did I hear that you guys are going shopping later? Depending what clothes you need, I can help you locate the best stores at great prices." Tea peeked from the hallway, covering a yawn with her hand.

"Yes, I need some more professional clothes if I'm going to work for Kaiba." Atemu explained, and upon mentioning his future boss Joey and Tristan rounded the corner.

"Wha? Yer gonna take him up on his offer, pharaoh?" The blonde was surprised.

"Yes. I have decided to take it. I can't really pass it up when it's Kaiba trying to befriend me. At least he's making effort, so I might as well take the job as a tester and see where it takes me." Atemu explained.

"That's great! We'll support whatever decision you make. And we'll help you out with this one, right guys?" Tea glared at Joey and Tristan in particular with the last part.

"Of course! We're a team!" The brunette was quick to answer.

"I may not like it, but it's Kaiba. But it's not gonna prevent me from havin your back, pal!" Joey made his opinion clear.

"Thanks, guys." Atemu smiled at their enthusiasm.

The rest of the day was spent in relative happiness. Atemu enjoyed shopping and hanging out with his friends, and for once he wasn't bothered by the stares from random strangers who were entranced by him.

However, the remaining weekend was spent with extreme restlessness. Atemu was anxious for the day Mokuba was to come in for his answer. Deep down a part of him wished it were to be Kaiba instead, but he highly doubted he would change plans and come instead.

The morning of his new job Atemu was more than ready.

He woke up early as usual to prepare breakfast for Solomon and Yugi. Since he wasn't sure if it was going to be his last, Atemu made it extra special. When it was time for Yugi to head off for school, Atemu stayed behind. As much as he wanted to walk his partner to school, he didn't want to miss Mokuba.

So he took the time to change into his new clothes he bought two days prior. Although it wasn't anything fancy, he hoped it would pass as professional enough.

He had loose black pants, a white button up, and a black coat suitable for spring and summer. Since he was testing equipment and future products, he felt that a suit and tie would have been overkill. Although to be honest, Atemu felt a little uncomfortable in this attire.

He was used to pants that fit him like a second skin. Atemu often had to secretly double check if the pants were even still there, as it felt he didn't have any on. He hated long sleeves unless it were a jacket. So to fix this Atemu rolled the sleeves up as high as they were allowed without cutting off circulation. Unfortunately, the sleeves could only roll halfway up his forearm.

He left the top button alone. He hated collared shirts because they always rubbed his throat the wrong way. And yet he was completely fine with a choker. Atemu wasn't wearing his usual choker, which was too bulky for his job.

This one he bought alongside it's twin with his clothes. Yugi had the other one. It was black and thinner than his trademark choker. This way he still had something familiar in an uncomfortable outfit, yet still professional.

The only other jewelry he kept on was the cartouche Tea bought him. He was too attached to it, especially with the inscription of his name on it. Atemu felt sure that Kaiba wouldn't mind the pendant around his neck at all.

And so while he waited, Atemu was doing inventory among the shelves. He hummed as he twirled the cartouche with one hand as he mindlessly busied himself. He was so lost in his own musings that he didn't hear the bell ring, indicating the door had opened.

Atemu had his back to the door so he didn't catch movement from his peripheral vision. He moved his hips in time with the tune he was humming, his eyes wandered along the shelves to make sure he didn't miss anything that needed to be replaced from the back.

"Are you going to snap out of it before I walk out?"

The sharp voice startled Atemu out of his fantasy. He released an undignified yelp as he jumped and started to topple over one side. A strong arm caught him around his waste, straightened his balance before twirling him around to face none other than Kaiba. Atemu choked upon meeting intense blues, which shortened the half squeak half whine.

 _Kaiba! I thought it was Mokuba who was supposed to come? Why did he change his mind?_

"Please tell me you're not like this all the time." Kaiba resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I attest that I am not. And I have about five people to back me up." Atemu cleared his throat, feeling quite embarrassed.

"Hmph. I wouldn't believe anything those losers said, anyway. But I know I can trust you more than anyone else with my company's secrets." Kaiba crossed his arms, and suddenly they became aware just how close they were standing when his firearms brushed against Atemu's chest.

"Which is why I'm taking you up on your offer. Since you have so much faith in my ability to complete any tasks thrown my way, I figured I might as well take it." Atemu managed to gather his wits as he backed up so the other wasn't in his personal bubble.

What unnerved him was that he was backed up against shelves while Kaiba remained a little too close for comfort. His eyes scanning over Atemu's choice of attire didn't settle his nerves, either. In fact it made them worse.

"Also, I can't turn down when you're making an effort to get to know me better." The former pharaoh added. His choice of words seemed to have done the trick when Kaiba backed away.

"I had a feeling you wouldn't. Now let's get going, I left the motor running." Kaiba turned heel and made way for the door.

"Man the fort, Grandpa! Take care!" Atemu yelled as he followed the taller.

"See you later, Atemu! Have fun on your first day! Oh, be sure Kaiba doesn't give you a hard time!" Solomon yelled back from the kitchen.

Atemu smiled at that and exited through the door and followed Kaiba into the awaiting limo.


	4. First Day On the Job

Chapter Four First Day On the Job

=3=

"So, what are the specifics of my job?" Atemu broke the awkward silence.

They had been sitting quietly, and for some reason the air was tense.

"Basically, you will be testing the equipment that my company are making. You get to see first hand of my projects, and test them out. Then you give us the feedback. Do try to be honest, our goal is to make every product perfect before we sell on the market." Kaiba listed, his voice void of emotion.

"Of course. You know I don't sugar coat anyway. What am I expecting for my hours?"

"Monday through Friday, starting from eight in the morning until nine at night. You will be allowed weekends and certain holidays off, however to request time off is required to report two weeks in advance."

"Reasonable enough."

"You will be granted breaks in between hours. Despite the long hours, I made it a passion to ensure all of my employees are healthy physically and mentally in order to perform at their best. This company can't run itself."

"I'm quite aware. At least it's a system, instead of at the leisure of my employer."

"Are you implying that old man worked you when he wanted you to?" Kaiba eyed him, his tone changed just subtly enough for Atemu to notice.

 _I should not have let that slip._

"Most of the time I handled the customers, answering questions and suggesting various games on the shelves. I was more or less a walking sign as people came in only to see me." Atemu didn't want to make it sound unlawful, so he quickly added. "Of course I didn't mind, I was granted breaks to eat or clean an area Solomon couldn't reach. And - "

"Relax, I'm not reporting him. It's no wonder why you got bored there." Kaiba cut him off. "Besides, that shop is a small business compared to my company. So this will be a massive difference between the two. However, you will have to adapt quickly here. I'm already behind on schedule for my main project."

"I'm quick on my feet, but I am pretty sure you know this already." Atemu felt relieved.

"Yes, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Hell, I wouldn't have made the offer if I didn't believe you could."

 _Was that a compliment?_

"I noticed you're wearing new clothes. Were those bought for this purpose?" Kaiba was gradually stepping out of business conduct attitude.

In a way it helped ease the tension. Atemu was grateful for it.

"Yes, actually. I wasn't exactly sure what clothes were required for this job."

"You actually wouldn't need a specific outfit for this, you're not my secretary. It wouldn't matter to me at all if you wore your usual attire. But should important businessmen that have made contracts with us to help build my products, then I expect the wardrobe to be what you have now. I will ensure to give you a heads up a week before and once again the night before a visit."

 _He's letting so much to slide for me, why?_

"Which reminds me, do you have a cell phone?"

"No. Yugi doesn't have a phone, so why would I have one?" Atemu shook his head, suddenly embarrassed that this could be a major hindrance for him.

"I'll supply you with one. Rollyn will hand one over by the end of the day. Understand that this is given by the company, so this phone is for business _only._ Do I make myself clear?" Kaiba narrowed his eyes with a silent threat, his tone darkened.

"Crystal blue clear." The words flung out of his mouth without Atemu registering.

They stared at each other as the words sunk in.

 _Why in Ra's name did I say that?_

The car stopped, and the driver opened the door for them. Kaiba got out first, breaking the awkward staring contest. Atemu followed suit, his legs somehow able to move on their own while his mind was still reeling. They stared up at KC Tower standing tall and proud.

"For the record pharaoh, I will admit that part of the reason why I gave you this job was to get close to you without the others interfering. I am not the best person to get close to. And I figured it would be easier if we met on my terms, leaving the others out of this to distract or make pointless arguments." Kaiba confessed, and Atemu looked up at the CEO with wonder.

"I kind of figured out that was part of the reason why you offered this job. That settled my nerves enough to decide by Saturday morning that I will take you up on this. I can't ignore it when you're making effort to know me better." Atemu didn't want to speak, but he felt that he had to assure Kaiba that he came here willingly.

They were interlocked in another stare off for a few minutes. The first to break eye contact was Kaiba, when his phone rang. He promptly answered the call, and a few exchanges later he had Atemu's full attention again.

"The moment you enter this building you will address me as Mr. Kaiba. You will mainly be working alongside me as we work on my projects, so I must warn you now that I can be very demanding and impatient while working. Since you're aware of my temper, you should already understand it's not directed at you personally. Do you understand, Mr. Mutou?"

"Yes, sir."

Kaiba was leading the way, of which Atemu followed behind him. Although he had to nearly jog to keep up with the CEO's long strides, Atemu didn't complain.

"And there might be days that I will call you in during weekends or make you stay longer than you are scheduled. As my main tester, the workforce will be extremely stressful and time means everything. So, you better get used to the crash course of handling immense pressure here. This isn't a simple job, and every now and then you might get injured during a malfunction."

"Good to know, Mr. Kaiba."

"Are you sassing me?"

"No, sir. Whatever makes you think I am?"

"Because I know you, Mr. Mutou. Understand here and now that I am your boss, therefore under this roof what I say goes. I am the one who signs your checks and sends them out."

"I understand, Mr. Kaiba."

"Good, we begin testing in thirty minutes. Mokuba will be informing everything you need to know."

They had just entered through the glass doors when the younger brother came forward to take over. Kaiba continued on presumably to his office, leaving the other two behind.

"Okay, so before I explain, I'll be taking you to get your employee pass and key card. Your key card is very important, for it allows you to reach certain levels of the building most don't have access to. So whatever you do, don't lose it." Mokuba explained as he lead them a different direction.

"Okay, duly noted. So what levels am I allowed on?" Atemu blinked, not surprised the employees were limited to where they're supposed to be working.

"For you? You're among the first to have access to everything aside from myself, Seto, and his most trusted employees who double as his assistants and security like Rollyn. I'm sure you remember him, don't you?"

"Yes, he's the one that's been with you guys the longest. I remember him when Dartz took over Kaiba Corp, and he remained with you two." Atemu nodded.

"Good! If you have any questions or concerns, come to me or him. If you can't find either of us, then my brother. He already has enough workload on him, so go to him as a last resort."

"Will do, Mokuba. It is all right if I call you by your first name, right?" Atemu wanted to understand his boundaries here.

"Of course! I don't care for formalities, even here at work. Let me guess, my brother ordered you call him Mr. Kaiba, didn't he?" Mokuba snickered.

"Yes, he did. He was very strict about it. So, if I may ask, why did he come to hear my answer instead? Last week he said he would send you." Atemu questioned, knowing that he would get a better answer out of the younger than Kaiba himself.

"Oh, that? I don't know why he did that. He woke up this morning and told me to forget heading over to the Game Shop. He said he was going to take care of it. A little strange for him, but I'm glad he decided to go." Mokuba shrugged.

"Why?" Atemu blinked, his mind whirling.

"Well, when he came back with you he seemed...I don't know, happy."

"I wouldn't really say he was, but it's hard for me to tell with him sometimes." Atemu admitted.

"You haven't been around him long enough. If you're around him like I am, it becomes second nature to read him. And whatever happened between you two on the ride over, but he's content. I haven't seen him like that in a long while, actually."

 _So I'm not the only one who has felt better about this decision._

Atemu kept his observation to himself. They reached their first destination anyway, so his attention had to be directed for the man who was to take his photo for his pass and scan his handprint, finger tips and eyes. It was all weird with how tight the security was, but Atemu wasn't bothered.

And overall it was a quick process, leaving then fifteen minutes left to head to the area where Kaiba's main project was being created at. Mokuba led him to the floor and explained what the equipment was that Atemu was test.

"What Seto is trying to create is a better duel disk than what we've got on the market. He's aiming higher with performance, realism with the holograms, and even make it where the cards aren't cards anymore but holograms, but you still have the option to use cards." Mokuba explained.

"What problems have put this project in delay?" Atemu inquired, remembering Kaiba mentioning earlier he was already behind.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but the disk has been having malfunctions. The last two testers were severely burned when the disks couldn't perform what they're supposed to do and they were forced to leave. Kaiba Corp referred them to the best doctors and promised to pay the medical bills and future surgeries if needed." At Mokuba's words the former pharaoh's heart sank.

 _Is that why he was hot and cold with me last week? No wonder he's been more irritable, the success for this disk has taken up all of his time._

"Thanks for the warning, Mokuba. I would rather hear from it before I go in there blindly." Atemu brushed off his fear of being burned himself.

"I had a feeling Seto couldn't bring himself to tell you. He's afraid to put this project under and scrap it, and we have a lot riding in on this duel disk. And with journalists out there hungry to hear of anything going on in here, he's afraid someone would slip about two employees forced on medical leave because of work." By the sound of his voice, Mokuba was just as scared.

"As far as I understand, the employees of Kaiba Corp are very loyal, so I doubt it will happen at this point in time." Atemu tried to assure the younger.

"I know. But I can tell he likes you, so the fact you're going to test this duel disk makes him nervous. He wants to test it himself, but I made him promise not to. Next thing I know, he tells me you're a possible candidate."

"He _likes_ me?" Atemu stopped short, unsure how to really respond to that bit of insight.

"Well, yeah! He saved you without even being asked to. He doesn't go out of his way to put his life in danger for just anyone, you know. And the fact he's trying to get closer to you by giving you this job proves that he likes you." Mokuba beamed, delighted to finally see his brother reaching out to someone outside his family and employees.

 _But does he like me as a friend or... something more? Wait, why am I even thinking of it like that? I don't have feelings for Kaiba. At least...I don't think s_ _o._

He didn't get the chance to inquire more on the matter when they arrived at their destination. Atemu took in the sight of a large room with a circular container. He guessed this was where he was supposed to test the duel disk in question.

 _The fact I'm inside something to contain a malfunction is rather daunting._

"Since there have been malfunctions, we're only going to do small tests today. We're not going to simulate a real duel at this moment, but only to focus on what the problem is." Kaiba's voice gained full attention of everyone here.

"What we'll be doing is to scan different sections while the disk is turned on. Once we find all the anomalies, then we can proceed from here on to fix the problems and continue head on to catch up to schedule." Kaiba caught Atemu's eye, and from there he went over the procedures to him.

"Essentially, we have timed it has to be on for approximately thirty seconds. That gives us enough time for our sensors to scan a section of the disk, and before the malfunctions act up and the threat of an explosion happening. However, if you feel in any way that it's about to malfunction, don't hesitate to throw it off and away from your body."

 _Is he making a stab at what happened back in Egypt?_

Atemu bit back his tongue before he could make a remark about it.

"We will be handing you a safety suit to protect you in case it explodes without warning. This will protect your arm and upper body, but not necessarily your head, for this disk requires a headpiece."

"Just how complicated is this duel disk going to be?" Atemu was amazed at Kaiba's ambition for such a device.

"It's functions are simple enough, but the pieces itself are far more complicated than the previous. Did you bring your deck, by any chance?" Kaiba allowed the formalities to slip just this once.

"I wasn't given warning to, sir." Atemu caught himself in time to be professional.

"That's fine, we can't risk your deck being destroyed at this stage of the project. Once we have cleared the threats, then we can focus on dueling. Rollyn, bring over the suit." Kaiba instructed with a snap of his fingers.

The tall man brought it over. Atemu had the sense he was about to head into a dangerous biohazard zone that could kill him. The suit was a little bulky, made of some sort of material on the outside that reminded him of a raincoat, but there was padding on the inside. And it covered from his neck all the way down to his feet.

 _This is definitely awkward._

If only he had known how frustrating it would be as the day progressed.

The disk was slipped over his left arm, and he admired how it went from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. With some adjustments it fit his arm like a glove, and then the headpiece was added. It felt more along the lines of a Bluetooth earphone, but bigger as it formed around his ear and down his jawline.

Atemu stepped into the circular container, and was given instructions on how to turn it on. He waited for the signal, and upon it he pressed the button, his finger hovered over it.

It lit up as it came to life. The red light contrasting to the sleek white metal. When Kaiba told him to turn it off Atemu was happy to oblige, his heart hammering. As the day progressed, Atemu began to run into some problems aside from the disk.

 _This blasted suit is going to be the death of me._

Walking was difficult, this thing easily weighed more than himself. The gloves were bulky on his small hands, and if he was told to push small buttons it proved to be rather near impossible. It was frustrating Atemu to no end.

Just before lunch break Atemu had enough and turned it off in the middle a scan. He ignored the yelling and demands for answers as he skillfully took the disk off. He carefully placed it on the floor before he scrambled to free his arms from the dreaded safety suit. Now that the weight was off his shoulders, and Atemu placed the duel disk back on and readjusted the straps.

"Is there a way this can be form fitting without having so much work to make it fit like a glove?" Atemu casually questioned as he continued to ignore threats sent his way.

His behavior gave Kaiba pause long enough to process what he had asked. It gave him an inspiration to look into that suggestion later, and he made a movement with his arm to shut up the man next to him who was heavily objecting to Atemu continue without the suit.

"But Mr. Kaiba, sir - we can't afford another tester to be injured." The man stammered.

"I am very well aware of this, you don't need to waste your breath on the matter. However, I trust Mr. Mutou's judgment, and whatever injuries he sustains from here on will be on him." Kaiba didn't tear his gaze away from the former pharaoh, laying down the consequences should the worst happen.

 _So that's what I can expect for being stubborn. These are risks I will take._

"But, Seto, he's a friend!" Mokuba frowned.

"And he has an incredible amount of luck. Even if I say otherwise, he would continue to ignore me like he had just done." Kaiba pointed out.

"I assure you, Mokuba, I will be fine. And, if you would allow me Mr. Kaiba, I would like to take a bet." Atemu smirked as everyone stared as if he grew an extra head.

"What exactly do you have in mind?" The head of the company regained his composure, his voice coated with interest.

"Sir - _sir_ \- you can't be _serious_?"

"Just shut the hell up and let me listen." Kaiba brushed them off.

"Instead of scanning this thing one by one, allow me to take it apart and reassemble it. I am rather good at fixing duel disks. Puzzles are second nature for me."

Gasps echoed around the room. Kaiba narrowed his eyes at Atemu. After a moment he started to chuckle, and his trademark smirk appeared on his face.

"What are the stakes,Mutou?"

"If I can find the problems, fix it well enough that it doesn't explode, then I get to help with the design and engineering. Since I recall you creating the little round prototype by hand, you understand that the simplest way of fixing these are to tinker around."

 _This is a long shot, and it has been a while since I took a duel disk apart. But I am confident that this will be successful._

Kaiba stood silent, and everyone waited on baited breath. His voice echoed throughout the room as his laughter surprised the majority of the people here. The only one who wasn't affected was Atemu.

"If you're so confident, then by all means go for it! _But_ , if it even so much as s _parks_ when you're done messing with it, then you have to agree to continue by _my_ rules. That means no cutting safety corners just so you're comfortable. And should you try to take another risk even after this point, you will be fired on the spot. No ifs or buts about it. Do you understand _Mr._ Mutou?"

"Yes, sir. I understand _Mr._ Kaiba."

"Good. You will be allowed your lunch break. But the moment your break is over, you work on the duel disk until your shift is over. And if it's still not reassembled, then you will continue to work on it during your regular work hours until it is fixed. Your time limit is two weeks. Two weeks, Mr. Mutou. _Don't_ disappoint me." And with that Kaiba turned and left.

Soon as he was gone Atemu started to question his sanity.

 _What did I get myself into?_


	5. Tinkering the Duel Disk

Chapter Five Tinkering the Duel Disk

=3=

Atemu was seriously reconsidering what was wrong with his sanity. Nearly two weeks had gone by, and he wasn't sure he could meet the deadline Kaiba had set up for him. Even so, he was willing to push himself until he got this done.

 _They're already behind, it would be bad if I made things worse._

Towards the end of his first week, Atemu started to work overtime. He wasn't doing this for the money. No, this was a challenge he wanted to tackle head on the moment he awoken in the morning.

Yes, he was tired. Yes, he was mentally exhausted. However, Atemu never felt so satisfied he had something that proved to be worth his time and effort than he did. He pushed away his doubts and focused on his near impossible task.

What he found annoying was that he wasn't given an office to work on. Atemu quickly grew tired working anywhere people would pop in and distract him from working on the delicate and complicated duel disk.

Atemu finally had the courage to ask Mokuba if he could move to one of the harder levels other employees had little access to just for some peace and quiet. The next day Atemu was given a large office to himself on the top floor.

Next to Kaiba's office.

At first it was unnerving, knowing his boss was so close. However, Kaiba was either too busy with other workloads, or he respected that everyone needed a space to themselves in order to work. And for three days Atemu worked in relative peace.

It was so peaceful that, on Friday night when he stayed overtime he didn't realize how exhausted he was and fell asleep at his desk. Atemu had made significant progress with the duel disk by this point. But in his mind he still had a long ways to go.

At some point he awoken, nearly falling from his chair. Atemu decided now was a good time as any for some coffee. He headed towards the coffee room down the hall, nearly dragging his feet in the process. He arrived to find another employee who had the same thoughts he had.

"Oh, hey. You're the new tester, aren't you?" The young man smiled at him.

Atemu blinked, not having seen this person before. He was just a little taller than him, and what caught his attention were the eyes.

The young man had bright green eyes that gave him the sense he could see right through him. His auburn red hair was wild, not as wild as Atemu's, but close enough. His bangs framed his heart shape face, but parts of his hair spiked up in different directions. In the back he had a long rats tail going down past his back. The very tip of it twirled like a stubborn curl.

"Yes, I am. Forgive me, I still don't know everyone here. You must be part of the night shift." Atemu assumed, for he hadn't yet met anyone from the night shifts.

"Excuse my manners, my name is Kosuke Himura. You can call me Kosuke. Would you like this cup? It saves you the trouble of making one, and I can make myself another."

"You sure? I mean, thank you. I hope it's not too much trouble for you." Atemu wasn't used to anyone but Mokuba being generous here.

"It's fine, you look like you're about to pass out. You'll need it more than I do. I'm used to the night shift, I just get a cup out of habit now. It will take some time for you to get used to this." Kosuke held the cup out to him, and Atemu gratefully accepted it.

"Thank you, Kosuke. So how long have you worked here, then? I'm still adjusting to all of this, and it's only been nearly two weeks."

"Oh, I've been here for a few months. You'll start to get the hang of it within the next week or so. Just hang on a little more and before you know it, you have a steady routine. Things can get crazy around here." Kosuke laughed, which Atemu couldn't help but laugh with him.

"Well, I should be get back to work. Thanks again for the coffee. It was nice to meet you, Kosuke." Atemu waved before heading towards his office.

"Anytime, Atemu!" Kosuke waved after him.

Atemu returned to his desk with renewed hope. He sipped the coffee now and then when he felt the threat of a yawn begin to tug. It tasted a little different, but he supposed there was a flavor Kosuke used that he hadn't tried yet.

Whatever was in the coffee was amazing. Atemu had more energy than before, and he only needed a few sips every now and again to keep focus. He didn't mind when it went cold, in his opinion it still had the same effect.

And before he knew it, Atemu finished the duel disk.

 _Finally, I reassembled this blasted thing. And before my deadline, too. I should probably call Yugi...huh...why am I so dizzy all of a sudden?_

Atemu laid his head on the desk in hopes the sturdy solidness will settle his swirling vision. He closed his eyes in hopes to make it all stop, and before he realized it he passed out.

And thus, some five minutes later, Kaiba was on his own coffee break when he passed by the slightly open door of Atemu's office. He was surprised to see the light still on so late. On his way back with a cup in hand, he peeked inside.

The sight of Atemu slumped over his desk brought back a sense of nostalgia when Kaiba was younger. He remembered the days he worked himself to the point of falling asleep just like this.

 _Two weeks is too short of a time frame. But what else can I do? The project is behind by two months as it is._

Since it was the weekend, Kaiba decided to give Atemu a much needed break. He went back into his office and without hesitation Kaiba picked up his phone. He dialed in a certain number then held the phone to his ear. The other end rang twice before it was picked up.

 _"Pharaoh, is that you? Are you okay?"_ A worried voice answered.

"Sorry to disappoint, Yugi." Kaiba leaned back in his chair.

 _"Kaiba! Is Atemu okay? He hasn't come home yet. And he hasn't called to inform if he's staying overtime at all._

Now Kaiba was a little concerned. Just how long ago did Atemu pass out?

"He's fine, passed out at his desk, actually. Just how much sleep does he get at home?" Kaiba inquired, his eyes drifting to the door that lead into Atemu's temporary office.

 _"Not much, lately. He stays overtime, comes home and goes to sleep. Then in the morning he wakes up early enough to make us breakfast then walks me to school before heading to work. Do we need to pick him up?"_ Yugi sounded like a concerned parent.

"No need. I was just calling to inform you he'll be crashing over at my place. Probably for the weekend. At this rate he won't be able to work, and I need him to be able to handle the job."

 _"But why does he need to stay at your place?"_

Before Kaiba could answer, there was a loud crash on the other line, followed by shuffling. Then someone else was talking to him.

 _"Aye, Kaiba! Are ya holdin da pharaoh hostage or somethin? Why has he not come home for Friday night movies, huh? Ya got some explainin to do!"_

"I don't owe you anything, Wheeler. As for Mutou, he is staying overtime on his own free will, so why don't you ask him later." Kaiba sighed, not even sure why he even bothered wasting his time.

 _"That's it, I'm comin' over there_ _to give ya a piece of my mind!"_ Joey dropped the phone.

 _"Wait, Joey!"_

 _"At least wait for us to go with you!"_

 _"Kaiba? Sorry about him. So tell me again why he has to stay with you?"_ Yugi's voice came through as the sound of fighting in the background took place. It sounded like people were trying to hold Wheeler back by force.

"Because you're too soft on him. He needs someone who can put their foot down on him. I will not allow any of my employees collapse from exhaustion while they're working under me."

Yugi hesitated on the other line as he debated. Kaiba knew it was a little harsh, but it was the truth. He heard a hushed argument on the other end. But by the sound of it, Yugi might be siding with him.

 _"All right, but please keep us informed. And be sure that he calls in the morning. Should he need anything, we'll drop it off then."_ Yugi consented before what sounded like someone tried to grab the phone but Yugi was too quick and hung up.

 _Why am I even doing this?_

Kaiba honestly didn't know. But he now has Atemu for the weekend. This could either turn out good or bad. He stood up and went through the door into the other office.

Feeling sheepish, Kaiba gently tried to awaken his passed out employee.

"Mutou, wake up."

Atemu didn't respond. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Kaiba gently shook the small shoulder in an attempt to wake him up without raising his voice.

 _"Pharaoh..."_

Atemu slowly opened his eyes. His body felt like lead, and his neck hurt. But that was nothing compared to the nausea and major headache he was feeling. He slowly sat up with a yawn. He turned his sleepy and dazed gaze to the figure next to him.

"Come on, you're staying the weekend with me to catch up with some rest."

Atemu blinked, obviously confused. His vision was blurry, all he saw were shapeless colors as the world span around him. But he recognized the voice.

"But I don't want to go to the court, Priest Seto...father handles all of the important stuff there. Why do I have to go?" Atemu was lost between two different time periods.

Kaiba actually wanted to smack himself.

"Snap out of it, Mutou. You're starting to make me think you're not cut out for this job if you're this confused." He tried not to raise his voice out of irritation, and the puzzled look on the other's face didn't help any.

"Seto...I feel funny. Ever since that drink I had, it's hard to stay awake. Can you fetch Mahado...?" Atemu somewhat had the sense to keep a conversation, but he still didn't realize the major time difference.

Panic spread through Kaiba like wildfire. His heart stopped when he noticed how pale Atemu was, coupled with his inability to focus on anything raised red flags. He scanned the office and found a coffee mug. He picked it up to find more than half of coffee in it.

Without hesitating he took a sip. Only to quickly spit it out in the trash can next to the desk. He knew what brands his company used, he grew accustomed to every taste available here.

 _That did not taste like our coffee._

Kaiba placed it back on the desk before he pulled the chair away from the desk and turned it so Atemu was facing him.

"Atemu, I want you to listen closely, where did you get this coffee mug?" Kaiba wasn't going to allow the other to pass out again. He raised a hand to feel for the temperature. The back of his hand met unnatural heat and a hint of perspiration. Kaiba lowered to the cheek to feel the same heat as the forehead.

"Atemu, for fuck's sake answer me!" His panic was beginning to shake his mask when the said person wouldn't respond.

"Kosuke gave it to me...he was at the break room." Atemu groaned as he became more aware of what time period he was in.

"What was his full name?"

"Kosuke Himura...ugh...Kaiba, I feel nauseous." Atemu started to turn green, and his body began to shake.

Kaiba placed the trash can in front of the former pharaoh just in time as Atemu emptied his stomach. Flinching from the sight and scent, Kaiba willed himself to keep the trash can there. With one hand he reached for the phone on the desk. His secretary had already left, but his phone system was set up that it would call Rollyn when the secretary wasn't around.

 _"Yes, Mr. Kaiba."_

"Bring the company doctor up to my office. Send word out to security to place this building under lockdown. Search for anyone by the name of Kosuke Himura." Kaiba instructed before he hung up.

Atemu was now dry heaving, as he didn't eat much of dinner earlier. Ensuring it was safe no clothes or carpet would have to be cleaned later, Kaiba lifted the smaller young man up and carried Atemu to the adjoined bigger office. With quick strides he placed the lithe body on the couch, where Mokuba usually hung out doing homework. At this time of night Mokuba should be at home asleep.

"Kaiba...I finished the duel disk." Atemu rasped.

"I don't care about the bloody duel disk right now. I'm more concerned about your well being." Kaiba growled out, removing his coat to cover the shivering body.

"Did... _urk_...did I mix up time frames? I had a dream I was asking your past life to get Priest Mahado. And then I woke up to you in front of me." Atemu was better able to focus, but his vision was still swirling.

"You kind of did. But that's not important. Can you describe to me what this Kosuke Himura looked like?"

"He was a little taller than me. He has green eyes and red hair that's spiked at the top and a rats tail going down to almost his feet." Atemu recalled, his throat burning from his violent vomiting.

"At least he'll stand out." Kaiba scoffed, earning a weak chuckle from the former pharaoh.

The door opened and Rollyn entered with a doctor at his heels with a few other security men. Rollyn was quick to have two people guard the door while the other two searched both offices for anything suspicious. Kaiba explained every important detail he obtained to Rollyn and the doctor.

"Don't worry, Mr. Kaiba. If this Kosuke Himura is still here, he won't escape. His features stand out too much. I'll have someone rewind the security tapes." Rollyn reassured, before he excused himself to get in touch with the rest of security.

Atemu felt too exhausted to remain awake. The last thing he remembered before passing out again were blue eyes meeting his gaze. The walls that guarded any slip of emotions were crumbling, and Atemu registered panic and fear. He felt a wave of guilt for being the source of this, but he couldn't even muster an apology before he welcomed darkness.

=3=

Just around the same time security cracked down on securing the building, Joey ran through the gates as they were closing. At the sound of alarms going off he stopped short, confused as he stared up at the pristine building. Behind him Yugi, Tea, Tristan, Duke and Ryou caught up with him.

"Joey! Atemu is fine, I would know if he was in danger." Yugi said in between breaths.

"Ugh, Yuge, if dat were the case, then why in da HELL ARE THE ALARMS GOIN OFF!?" Joey pointed.

Eyes followed the direction, and suddenly it registered in their brains the sounds of high pitched alarms and flashing lights brightened the night sky hit them hard. The group suddenly felt uneasy. And it was familiar.

"Is it too soon to say, hey, looks like we got another enemy making their move with possible magical powers?" Tristan was the first to speak.

"Damn it! Dis what I was afraid of! C'mon, da pharaoh and Kaiba gotta be in there!" Joey ran full speed ahead.

"Joey! We all have to stick together!" Tea yelled after him.

"Actually, it might be better if we all split up into pairs. Since this is a large building, it will be easier if we covered more ground." Duke suggested.

"Right, well I'm with Joey!" Tristan ran after his best friend.

"Which of you wants to go with them?" Duke turned to the remaining three, of which no one moved.

Yugi wanted to, but he couldn't catch up. His legs were burning and it hurt to breathe. And now he was starting to feel dizzy. He was starting to question if the dizziness was his own, or Atemu's.

"I'll go with them. Someone's got to keep them from doing something stupid." Tea volunteered before running. "You guys be safe! Stay in touch with our phones!"

"You got it, Tea!" Ryou waved back at her.

"So, that leaves us with Yugi. You okay, man? You don't look so good." Duke was the first to notice how pale the teen was.

"Something is wrong with Atemu. I don't know why I didn't sense it earlier, but I can feel that he's sick." Yugi was resisting the urge to vomit. His head was spinning, and as much as it hurt him he blocked the connection between himself and his other half.

 _What happened to you, pharaoh? Kaiba said you were fine, just tired. But I felt your pain, your nasuea._

Yugi straightened as he calmed his breathing.

"If that's the case, then we better hurry! Who knows what's inside there. The pharaoh and Kaiba need all the help they can get." Ryou urged them.

They all nodded in agreement before running towards the entrance.

 _Mou hitori no boku. Hang in there! We're coming!_


	6. The Real Kosuke

Chapter Six The Real Kosuke

=3=

Kaiba was used to everything crumbling down upon him when one thing goes wrong, everything followed. And so he was able to maintain a relative calmness much like a veteran being cornered. Which was good, considering he had no idea who this Kosuke Himura was, or if he was even the culprit.

"Sir, I just received word that Yugi Mutou and his friends entered the the building. So far they split into two groups lead by Joey Wheeler and Yugi Mutou." Rollyn updated.

 _Of course they would show up here. Trouble either follows them, or they have the knack to find trouble._

"Let them be. Be sure to change the systems to let them reach every floor here, but _only_ them. We still have a rat to corner." Kaiba instructed.

"It shall be done, sir."

"Mr. Kaiba, it seems that Mr. Mutou has been poisoned." Dr. Fujimoto observed.

"I can already guess that. Just tell me something that I don't know, like maybe what sort of poison? And a better understanding of his chances of survival would be great, too." Kaiba snapped irritably.

"While I don't know until the test results come back from the mug, but I can say that he has a high chance to pull through. I believe he vomited most of it out, so as long as his body can withstand any other side effects then all he needs is rest." Dr. Fujimoto elaborated, and Kaiba never felt more inclined to be elated from such news in his life.

 _Hold it, we still can't celebrate just yet._

Just then, there was a commotion in the adjoined office Kaiba found Atemu in earlier. Without thinking he rushed over in time to see the two men who were guarding the room collapse to the floor. There were no wounds, and it brought him flashbacks from the time of Dartz collecting souls.

He heard yells from his office, and Kaiba instinctively reached for the nearest duel disk, which turned out to be the one Atemu had been working on. He inserted his deck, which he had on his person at all times, before peeking through the door he had used to assess the situation.

Everyone was on the floor. Whether or not they're unconscious, or something else, Kaiba didn't know. His eyes trained on the lone figure who remained standing in the room. Kaiba felt a twinge when the figure matched Atemu's description of Kosuke Himura.

From behind, anyway. Kaiba couldn't see the man's face, but he didn't need to in order to identify this individual. The figure stood before the couch, hovering over Atemu, who was still out cold. It was then Kaiba noticed that Kosuke had something in his hand.

 _No! It can't be! That was supposed to be buried in the sands, never to be found again!_

Kaiba felt his heart sink at the sight of the Sennen Rod.

"Time to cut your time among the living short, pharaoh. Nothing personal, but it would be better if you remained in the puzzle." Kosuke raised the Rod to the sleeping form, and the item began to glow brightly.

 _Over my dead body!_

Kaiba activated the prototype. It whirled to life as it lit up. He drew the first card from his deck to summon the monster.

"You won't get away with it! Attack! Vorse Raider!"

The beast warrior swung it's huge sword at Kosuke's back. Seconds before the weapon could make the hit, Kosuke disappeared. Vorse Raider managed to stop it's attack before the sword could slice Atemu in half.

"What? There is no way he could have dodged that attack!" Kaiba grit his teeth.

It didn't matter, for Kosuke was gone. What Kaiba wasn't aware of is that Kosuke managed to withdraw the pharaoh's spirit from his body. But Kaiba interrupted whatever plan Kosuke had planned for the spirit, whom the brunette couldn't see.

And with danger apparently gone, Kaiba turned off his duel disk. A swell of pride filled him to see the thing _finally_ working at how it should have been. And it wasn't releasing sparks. Kaiba made a mental note to grant Atemu a pay raise for the trouble of completing the damn duel disk.

Kaiba picked up the unconscious form and began to make his way to the elevator. He wasn't sure if he should head to the roof or head down. The roof would grant him an escape using one of the company's choppers, but that would just mean he's leaving Atemu's friends in danger.

 _I am seriously regretting letting them in here._

With an annoyed growl Kaiba had difficulty pressing the down button of the elevator.

 _Meanwhile A Few Floors Down..._

Joey didn't know where he was going. He was starting to wonder if charging in without thinking of a plan wasn't a good idea. It wasn't the best of his ideas, but he was too eager to locate the pharaoh to stop and think.

He stopped running when he reached an elevator that should lead them up. It took them a while to figure out certain elevators didn't go any higher on certain levels. Joey had just found the one that would take them higher than the fourteenth floor.

"Huh? It's moving down ta us! Aye, guys! Someone's comin' down!" Joey yelled to the other two as they caught up.

"Great, we won't know until the doors open if they're friend or foe." Tristan huffed as he tried to catch his breath.

"Hey, don't you think it's strange we haven't met anybody yet? I thought we would have seen someone who works here by now." Tea was glancing around the empty room around them.

There were computers all around, but no sign of anyone here. There were signs of people who were working just recently, like still warm coffee mugs and the computer screens still shone brightly.

"Whatever happened to them, let's hope it doesn't happen to us." Tristan commented.

Suddenly with a _ding_ the elevator doors opened. All three tensed, ready for whoever was on the other side.

=3=

Atemu was near his wit's end. He was somehow stuck in spirit form, and unable to return to his body. He tried numerous times, but whatever the Sennen Rod did prevented him from returning. He hoped it wasn't permanent.

Right now his main concern was able to communicate with Kaiba. No matter what he said or did was a waste of time when the man couldn't _see him_. Atemu did everything between shouting to poking and pulling at whatever. Which he quickly learned he couldn't touch any solids when his arms went through Kaiba.

The brunette didn't even _react_ to that.

Atemu sighed with exasperation. He was starting to go over his options when the elevator doors opened, diverting his attention to see familiar faces that made his heart swell with hope.

"Kaiba! Wha da hell happened to da pharaoh!?" Joey demanded at the top of his lungs.

"He's not dead. Now, out of my way." Kaiba of course, didn't take too kindly to the blonde's authoritive tone.

 _Fight in three...two..._

"Hold up! Yer not goin anywhere without explainin to us what happened!" Joey wouldn't back down.

 _Right on cue._

Atemu wanted to bang his head against the wall. He wasn't sure if it was good or bad that he couldn't actually do so.

"There's no time for chit chat! I'll explain everything later!"

"Yer gonna explain everything now!"

"I'm warning you, Wheeler, get the fuck out of my way!"

Kaiba looked to be at the end of his rope with patience, but the blonde was too stubborn for his own good. Having enough, Atemu released a sudden burst of magic he didn't know he still possessed. Computer screens went haywire while the lights flickered.

Kaiba _felt_ that wave of magic.

Atemu could tell when his body tensed, and his eyes went wide. He also noticed how Kaiba instinctively tightened his hold on the smaller body. If Atemu wasn't a spirit form right now, he wouldn't have believed anyone who would have told him later that Kaiba was being protective of him.

"Uh...what was that?" Tristan found his voice first, but the shock and fear was still present in his tone.

"Was dat us or...?" Joey was looking around nervously.

 _If Kaiba can **sense** my magic, then there's a very good chance he can see me. His third eye needs just a little more encouragement..._

Atemu wished he had the Sennen Key, it would be much easier to open the mind with that. So the pharaoh was left with no choice but to take a risk. He called his magic forth to his aid. Atemu ignored the flickering lights and the panic from his friends as the shadows came to life around them.

 _Do not harm my friends. Focus only on opening Kaiba's third eye._

Atemu repeated this like a mantra, his will was strong enough that the shadows obeyed. They avoided everyone but Kaiba as they swirled underneath his feet. Kaiba was visibly shaken at what's happening, but he couldn't move since he was trapped in front of the elevator.

 _Relax, this shouldn't hurt_.

Atemu hoped it wouldn't anyway, but even so the shadows whispered his words to Kaiba, who was the only one who could hear them. Kaiba was his main concern, and it probably helped he was already sensitive to magic.

 _I call upon the power of the Shadows, allow me to open Seto Kaiba's Third Eye! Mind Open!_

Atemu felt the magic surge through him as he touched Kaiba's forehead with the tips of his fingers. Kaiba twitched, Atemu could tell he wanted to run but the shadows at his feet prevented the brunette from moving. Atemu knew he would get an earful for this later, but if he can at least communicate with _someone_ then it would be worth it in the very end.

The magic flowed into Kaiba as his forehead glowed brightly. A symbol of a golden closed eye began to form as bangs shifted to reveal it to everyone there. Atemu poured more magic into the symbol, of which was starting to burn his fingers. Kaiba was resisting.

 _Why of all times do you have to be so damned stubborn?_

Atemu hated to do this, but he increased his power a little more. He can't rip the eye open by force, that would cause more harm than good. His goal was to coax it, even as he felt the magic draining his energy rapidly. It was a similar sensation when he summoned powerful monsters in Ancient Egypt.

Slowly the eye opened. Atemu felt elated at the sight, and he willed himself to hold on just a little longer. A minute later he almost got it fully opened when suddenly magic not his own resisted. Atemu pulled away with a scream of pain. It felt as if his very soul was _burning_.

Kaiba stood where he was, legs shaking. The shock of whatever just transpired went away when a scream registered in his ears. His eyes drifted to the crumpled spirit form of Atemu. At the sight of him, Kaiba felt cold burning fury.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking!?" Kaiba yelled, his eyes never straying from the spirit.

The confused faces of the other three confirmed that he was, indeed, the only one who could see him.

 _I wanted to communicate. So I kind of opened your third eye._ Atemu regained his composure and floated closer to Kaiba. If looks could kill, he was sure he would be dead a hundred times over from Kaiba's intense gaze.

"Did Kaiba just lose his mind or somethin?" Joey was lost.

"Shut up, mongrel!" Kaiba snapped. He took his chance to briskly walk past the three. They had backed away from him during the weird magic show that happened without warning.

 _No need to be so irritable, Kaiba..._

"I have EVERY right to be irritated right now, _pharaoh._ I don't need to hear it from you." The venom in the title made Atemu flinch.

"Huh? Are ya talkin to Atemu? Did he do some weird magic shit?" Joey sprinted after them.

"Wait, how come we can't talk to him, then?" Tea inquired.

"Why are we going along with the idea he's actually talking to Atemu, again?" Tristan's head hurt too much for him to keep up with what's going on.

"Everyone, SHUT UP." The warning in Kaiba's voice was enough to pass the message.

 _I'm sorry, Kaiba..._

 _I swear I'm going to make him pay for this later._

 _Kaiba...I can hear your thoughts. My magic is lingering on your third eye, so for the moment I can hear your thoughts, and you can hear mine._

 _Of fucking course you can._

 _And I'll accept whatever punishment you deem necessary for what I did._

 _I'll keep that in mind for later. And you better keep your word on it._

 _You know me, Kaiba. I don't ever go back a promise._

 _We'll see about that. I still think you're a selfish bastard._

The group stopped short when the lights went out. They had entered another room with the intention of heading to the other elevator to head down.

 _Please tell me that was you._

 _Would you be mad if I said it wasn't?_ Atemu was apprehensive.

 _Fucking hell, pharaoh._

 _Ah ah ah~ I'm not fucking anything. Not that I would top, anyway._ Atemu playfully poked the brunettes cheek. He was grateful he was currently a spirit, and that Kaiba's hands were occupied.

 _This isn't a fucking game._

 _I find in some situations it helps relieve the tension._

 _This isn't one of those situations._

As if to prove Kaiba's point, the lights came back on to reveal Kosuke standing in front of them. And that's when everyone gasped at the sight of him.

Gone were the modern clothes. Kosuke wore a more tribal outfit. His shirt and pants were white, which was a contrast to the large deep purple coat. Golden patterns of triangles adorned the edges of the sleeves, as well as the front of Kosuke's shirt.

What made everyone nervous was the sight of not one, but _two_ Sennen Items.

In his hand was the Rod, his arm hanging by his side. And around his neck was none other than the Puzzle.

"Took a while to find you guys. If it weren't for the surge of magical energy, it would have taken me longer." Kosuke chuckled.

 _You risked our safety just to talk to me when you knew the possibility of him finding us, didn't you?_

 _Um...oops?_

 _Pharaoh, you better hope we all get out of here alive._ Kaiba resisted the urge to slap the unconscious body. Plus, he couldn't really do so at the moment.

 _Considering our past, I think we have a good chance._

 _Stop treating everything like it's a game!_

 _Then stop taking everything seriously._

"Who are ya and whaddya want!?" Joey moved to take a stand next to Kaiba.

"My name is Alasdair. I come from the past, a long ways before Yugi Mutou solved the Puzzle I adorn around my neck. I peeked into the future, and witnessed a prophecy. A prophecy I wish to never allow to happen. And so I used the _eighth_ Sennen item to travel to the moment before the pharaoh passed through the Sacred Door."

His other hand held out and a cube appeared out of nowhere. It floated above his palm as it slowly turned in place. Atemu wasn't the only one confused.

"Wait, I thought there were only seven of those things." Kaiba voiced the same thoughts everyone else had.

"Oh, originally, there _were_. This was made long after the pharaoh's sacrifice five millennia ago. It was created in the hopes to keep the world balanced while the pharaoh was dormant inside the Puzzle. It also granted certain people, the Plana, special abilities to help shape the future. However, the powers were to be taken away the moment the Puzzle was completed."

"Then why do you still have powers?" Joey stared in disbelief.

"I am not originally from this time period, so for the moment, I still have my powers as long as I have this on me. However, should I lose it, or if I spend too much time here, then I will eventually vanish. My very existence would be erased, nothing more than a grain of sand in the desert." The cube disappeared, and Alasdair locked eyes with the spirit.

"You're wondering what sort of prophecy would make me take drastic measures to prevent, aren't you, pharaoh? I can't reveal everything in the event of a butterfly effect happening, but I can say what my plan was."

"Let me guess, you decided to weaken him so he can't resist. And you knew you can't win in a duel against him. So you sought the cowardly way out and poisoned him just enough for you to use the Rod to transfer his soul into the Puzzle again." Kaiba interrupted, his eyes flashing dangerously as his blood boiled.

"Very good, Kaiba. Yes, that was the plan. In order to prevent the prophecy from happening, I decided to the best possible method is to trap his soul within the Puzzle. Once I have completed that task, I was to scatter the pieces all over the world to so it won't be completed ever again." Alasdair explained.

"What!? You're insane! Ya think you can just waltz around with yer fancy items just to trap da pharaoh _again_? After all dat he's been through? He sacrificed himself over and over again to save da world! An ya know what? He did it fer us! So, ta get to him, ya have to get through me!" Joey challenged, fired up and ready to go.

 _Joey..._ Atemu was at a loss for words.

"As if you're going to take all the glory, Wheeler. Remember this is my company headquarters, I'm not to taking intruders lightly." Kaiba added, to which everyone stared.

"You would...duel with me?" The blonde was in awe.

"I much rather wouldn't, but if you're so eager to face him I'm not going to stand idly by."

"Gee, thanks. I dunno whether ta take as an insult or a compliment." Joey was beside himself.

 _Maybe me opening your third eye was a good thing after all, Kaiba._

 _Don't you start with that shit, pharaoh._

"That saves me having to bait you. Though, if you don't mind, I'll keep hold of the hostages I obtained. While I was searching for you, I found a few wandering unfortunate souls." Alasdair smirked, enjoying exactly at what he just implied to them.

"What did ya do them!?" Joey demanded.

"Yeah, you sick bastard! You better not have hurt them!" Tristan yelled.

"Who did he...?" Tea couldn't find it within herself to finish her question.

"I took the liberty of withholding four people hostage. Just to prove they're not harmed, I'll hand over two of them." With a wave of his arm a portal of shadows opened up to spit out two individuals.

Eyes went wide at recognizing Ryou and Duke, unconscious on the floor. The portal disappeared as Alasdair laughed.

"Ryou! Duke! C'mon, guys, open yer eyes!" Joey ran to their side, Tristan and Tea following suit.

"What did you do with my brother!?" Kaiba put two and two together, his rage barely contained.

"Don't worry, he and Yugi Mutou are safe. But if you wish for them to be freed, then meet me at the roof of this building for a duel. If I win, I get the pharaoh. If you win, your little brother and Yugi will be freed." Alasdair laid out the terms before he was swallowed by shadows and disappeared.

 _I'm sorry, Kaiba. I didn't mean for this to happen._

 _Cut the apologies, I don't need them._

 _But all of this happened because I was the fool who didn't realize he was an employee! And now he has Mokuba and Yugi! Aibou..._ Atemu was at a loss, ever rarely was his partner a hostage and it hurt to even think about it.

 _I can't even fight alongside you guys this time._

 _Stop it. The pharaoh I know doesn't give up. Have you lost yourself since the duel against Yugi? Have you forgotten who you are?_

Atemu stared into Kaiba's eyes as he pondered over his words. It was strange to hear them from Kaiba. Once again he thought back on when he saved him, and then the argument of when he accused him of being selfish.

 _You care about me. You wanted to get close to me all along, but you couldn't. That moment you saw me fall, you reacted out of regret. You regret not getting to know me better, didn't you?_

 _You're impossible. The timing is shit, because now isn't the fucking time._

Atemu took that as the cue the conversation would be continued later. They turned as the others made a commotion when Duke and Ryou awoken.


	7. The Prophetic Duel Part One

Chapter Seven The Prophetic Duel Part One

=3=

Explaining the events to Duke and Ryou weren't difficult. They understood the situation and took with stride, even though they weren't fooling anyone. Everyone was shaken to the core about Alasdair and his methods to change the future.

And without any debate the group made their way to the roof. For some reason only then did Kaiba hand over the pharaoh's body over to the support squad. Duke took the liberty of holding him, even took the time to properly wrap the white coat around the smaller body to better protect him against the cold.

In the meantime, Kaiba and Joey took their stance in the middle of the platform. Alasdair stood opposite them, patiently waiting.

"Where are Mokuba and Yugi?" Kaiba demanded.

"Right here." Alasdair said as shadow portals opened behind him. Everyone tensed at the sight of unconscious forms of the hostages suspended in the air.

"Ready to duel?" The redhead smirked, and the two activated their duel disks.

 _Kaiba, I just have one favor to ask you._ Atemu darkly growled.

 _Yes, pharaoh?_

"Always, when it's fer Yuge an Mokuba!" Joey retorted.

 _Make him pay._

"With pleasure."

"Let's duel!"

Alasdair: 8000

Seto: 8000

Joey: 8000

All around them the shadows grew. Overhead the shadows enveloped them, as eyes and twisted mouths appeared. The sinking feeling came back to everyone at the familiarity of the Shadow Realm being activated.

"Aw man, not dis again!" Joey slouched.

"Why does this always have to happen?" Tristan groaned.

"This will always give me the creeps." Tea shivered.

"It's not that bad." Ryou shrugged, earning stares. "What? None of you have endured nightmares brought on by Thief King."

"Get a grip, Wheeler." Kaiba urged.

"I'll go first!" Alasdair exclaimed, as he drew.

"I reveal in my hand three Spellbook spell cards in order to Special Summon High Priestess of Prophecy (Spellcaster/Effect ATK 2500/2100) in Attack Mode!" A spellcaster with pink hair, her outfit white and blue with a book in her hand appeared on the field.

"Next, I activate the Field Spell The Grand Spellbook Tower!" Alasdair's side of the field darkened as a tall tower raised behind him.

"Then I place two cards face down. I end my turn." Alasdair enjoyed the shocked expressions on them, that he was able to summon a high level monster in first turn.

"My turn!" Kaiba drew, smirking. "Ha! You're not the only one who can special summon a strong monster! I reveal one Blue Eyes White Dragon, in order to Special Summon Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon (Dragon/Effect ATK 3000/2500)!"

"Hold it! I reveal my trap card, Black Horn of Heaven! Should my opponent special summon a monster, I can negate the summon and destroy it. So long, Blue Eyes!" Alasdair was one step ahead.

A black horn appeared, as it created a haunting sound of a horn being blown. The Blue Eyes growled as it was sent straight to the graveyard.

 _Kaiba!_

 _Relax!_ _I have a back up._

"You may have thwarted my special summon, but watch as it returns! I play the spell Return of the Dragon Lords! If a level 7 or 8 Dragon type monster is in the graveyard, I can special summon it! Return, Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon!" Kaiba smirked as the dragon returned on the field with a victorious roar.

"Good comeback, Kaiba!" Duke released a sigh, his heart had done flips at the intensity of the duel when it was so early.

"Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon, attack his High Priestess of Prophecy!" Kaiba declared.

 _Hold, he still has another face down!_

"I activate my other trap, Draining Shield! When a monster declares an attack, then I can negate it, with the added bonus of gaining Life Points equal to the attacking monster!"

 _Shit!_ Kaiba inwardly cursed. Even so, Atemu heard it. He honestly felt the same way.

Alasdair: 11,000

"I set one card face down and I end my turn." Kaiba growled.

 _I warned you._

 _Enough_ _, stop third wheeling this duel!_

 _This is the best I can do to help!_

 _Well, then shut up and just let me duel._

"I draw. I activate a continuous spell, Spellbook Star Hall. Once it's activated, I can place one spell counter on it. For each spell I activate, I can add another counter. And for each spell counter, all Spellcasters on my side of the field gain 100 ATK."

High Priestess of Prophecy (ATK 2600)

"I activate Spellbook of Secrets, this allows me to add a Spellbook card from my deck to my hand. I choose Spellbook of Power, which I will now activate! It allows one Spellcaster on my field to gain 1000 ATK until the end phase, and I choose my Priestess!"

High Priestess of Prophecy (ATK 3800)

"I set one monster face down defense position. Now, High Priestess, attack Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon!" Alasdair declared.

"Nice try, but I activate my trap! Negate Attack!"

The High Priestess couldn't finish her attack. She returned to her side of the field, unfazed she couldn't destroy her target.

"I place two cards face down and end my turn." Alasdair concluded.

High Priestess of Prophecy (ATK 2800)

"All riiiight! It's finally my turn!" Joey was enjoying this, despite the Shadow Game and risking his life. When it came to Yugi and Atemu, this thing became normal.

The blonde began to laugh at his hand.

"I summon Black Dragon's Chick (Dragon/Effect ATK 800/500) in attack mode! Then I activate it's special ability, which by sendin da little guy to the graveyard, I can special summon one Red Eyes Black Dragon from my hand! Say hello to my pal, Red Eyes!" Joey grinned ear to ear.

The little dragon chirped as it was sent to the graveyard, and took its place was the adult version. Red Eyes Black Dragon (Dragon ATK 2400/2000) roared triumphantly.

 _Nice going, Joey!_ Atemu cheered.

 _Don't celebrate just yet._

"Red Eyes, attack his face down monsta!" The blonde pointed at it.

Red Eyes roared as it sent a red burst of flame at the face down. It flipped up to reveal Spellbook Magician of Prophecy (Spellcaster/Effect 500/400).

"You've activated it's effect! When this spellcaster is flipped, then I can add one Spellbook spell card from my deck to my hand." Alasdair pulled out a card, then his deck was shuffled.

"I den end my turn. Whaddya say ta dat, huh?" Joey ended his turn.

"I say you're just biding your time. I activate my face down traps, Spirit Barrier. So long as I control a monster, I take no damage. My other trap is Solemn Wishes. It allows me to gain 500 Life Points for each cards I draw. Draw!" Alasdair chuckled.

Alasdair: 11,500

"I summon Fire Princess (Pyro/Effect ATK 1300/1500). I then activate Spellbook of the Master! By revealing one Spellbook in my head, I can target one Spellbook in my graveyard, and this card gains that ability for this turn. I choose Spellbook of Power, and I target that effect to my High Priestess!"

High Priestess of Prophecy (ATK 4000)

 _Which is he going to attack?_ Atemu grew nervous, neither Kaiba or Joey have face downs.

 _He will most likely choose the weakest monster._ Kaiba eyed the blonde next to him.

"Jeez, da way ya keep powering up yer monsta, it looks like ya only got one powerful monsta!" Joey accused.

"I assure you, I have more powerful monsters than my High Priestess. But they're not worth your time. And now I have my first victim! I choose to attack Red Eyes Black Dragon!"

 _Joey!_

"No, Red Eyes!" Joey yelled as his dragon was destroyed.

Joey: 6400

"Attack his life points directly, Fire Princess!"

Joey released another scream as he felt the pain of the flames burning him. He knew the flames weren't really burning, but they sure felt real. He grit his teeth as he was on his knees.

Alasdair: 11,500

Kaiba: 8000

Joey: 5100

 _Joey! Hang in there!_ Although he couldn't be heard, Atemu cheered him on.

"You can do it, man!" Tristan bellowed.

"You're still hanging in there!" Tea yelled with hope.

"Get up, Wheeler! You've felt worse." Kaiba had a point, and there was even a hint of concern in his voice.

"Don't worry, it ain't over yet..." The blonde stood up straight, earning cheers from his friends.

"I commemorate your bravery. However, in a few more turns you won't last. And then it would be your turn, Kaiba. I place one card face down." Alasdair ended his turn.

High Priestess of Prophecy (ATK 3000)

 _The future isn't set in stone!_ Atemu was heated, he wished with all his might that he could help but he couldn't.

 _If things don't change, then we'll be wiped out._ Kaiba grit his teeth.

 _Now would be a good time for you two to work together, then!_ _I will not sit idly by while you allow him to be taken to the Shadow Realm, Kaiba!_ Atemu glared.

 _He's the reason I'm being held back!_ Kaiba argued.

 _And this is a tag team duel! Just work with him long enough to get the edge here. Please, Kaiba._

 _Fine!_

"I draw." Kaiba was thinking carefully over his next move.

"I have a question for you, Kaiba, if you would humor me." Alasdair Interrupted his thoughts.

"Not the greatest time, but sure, go right ahead." Kaiba raised an eyebrow.

"I witnessed the whole incident of you saving the pharaoh back in Egypt. What I'm curious about is, why did you save him? If it were Joey or anyone else, the answer is simple. But for you, you the man who stood toe to toe with pharaoh in an endless dance of power, you risked your life to save him when I thought you hated him." Green eyes bore into blue, truthfully seeking answers.

There was a moment of silence, all eyes on Kaiba. Everyone had the same question for a while now, and they were also curious as to why Kaiba was trying to be nice to Atemu. The change of heart was surprising, but they weren't judging.

"Why should it matter to you why I did it? You're not me, you don't know me. The only person obligated to know my answer is Atemu himself." Kaiba scoffed.

 _You really feel that way?_ Atemu tilted his head at the CEO.

 _Yes,_ _now do me a favor and just shut up so I can think_ _of a strategy here._

 _Why not use that spell card on the far left?_ Atemu suggested when he peeked at Kaiba's hand.

 _But I don't have all Blue_ _Eyes...Oh._

"I activate Polymerization! Since my Blue Eyes on the field is considered a Blue Eyes White Dragon, I can fuse it with my other two Blue Eyes in my hand to bring out Neo Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

Two original Blue Eyes appeared on the field. The three dragons roared as they fused, becoming one. What took their place was a three headed Blue Eyes. This dragon was different than a Blue Eyes Ultimate, it was brighter in color as it glowed. The three heads roared, eyeing the High Priestess and Fire Princess.

Neo Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (Dragon/Fusion/Effect ATK 4500/3800)

 _What do you say, Kaiba?_ Atemu was enjoying himself.

 _I'm not going to say it._

 _Kaiba~ Admit it, you forgot the effect of your Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon._

 _Shut. Up_.

Atemu chuckled, leaving it at that. No use to start an argument that could throw off Kaiba's focus in the duel.

"I've never seen that card before." Tea admired.

"I was beginning to wonder when he can bring out one of his stronger monsters." Ryou commented.

"Was there any doubt? This is Kaiba we're talking about." Duke pointed out.

"Yeah, but unless those two can work as a team, they won't last." Tristan hated pointing out a downside, but he hated seeing his friends in danger.

"Nyahaha! Yer toast, now, Alasdair!" Joey grinned ear to ear.

"Neo Blue Eyes, attack and destroy the High Priestess!"

The three headed dragon roared as their mouths opened, sending three white beams of light at the High Priestess. She screamed when it hit, effectively destroying her. All that was left was Fire Princess.

"I activate Neo Blue Eyes effect! If this has been fused this turn, and it's the only monster I control, then I can send one Blue Eyes Fusion from my extra deck to my graveyard to attack once more! Say goodbye to your Fire Princess!" Kaiba sent Blue Eyes Ultimate to the graveyard, and his dragon was more than happy to attack once more.

Fire Princess let out a scream of her own as she was destroyed.

"You will pay for that, Kaiba!" Alasdair growled.

"Then you're going to love this! I can use the same effect of Neo Blue Eyes once more to attack your life points directly! And since you don't have a monster on the field, your Spirit Barrier is useless!" Kaiba sent Blue Eyes Twin Burst Dragon to the graveyard.

"Go! Ultimate Neutron Blast!"

The attack aimed at Alasdair. He braced himself, knowing the amount I of pain he will be in. Alasdair didn't scream, but he was reduced to his knees. He sent a heated glare at Kaiba as he stood on shaking legs.

Alasdair: 7,000

"How's da pain, now, Alasdair?" Joey beamed, hope shining brightly in his eyes.

"Don't celebrate just yet, we still got a ways to go, Wheeler. I end my turn with three face downs." Kaiba placed two traps and a spell.

"Good table turning, Kaiba. But all you've done is spur my wrath! I draw!"

Alasdair: 7,500

"I activate the spell Mask of the Accursed and equip it to your Neo Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Now your dragon can't attack, and you lose 500 points at the start of your every turn!" Alasdair grinned at the distraught expressions.

"Next I summon Fool of Prophecy (Spellcaster/Effect ATK 1600/900) in attack mode! Now I activate it's effect, by banishing one Spellbook from my deck, I can tribute Fool of Prophecy to summon a level 5 or higher Dark Spellcaster from my deck at the end of my turn!"

A spellcaster with yellow robes, green hat and a staff appeared. And due to Spellbook Star Hall still on the field, the monster's attack power was raised by 500.

"But we just got rid of High Priestess!" Joey exclaimed.

"Yes, but I'm not so easily deterred from my goal. I attack Joey with Fool of Prophecy!"

"Not dis again!" Joey braced himself.

 _Kaiba!_ Atemu pressured, knowing his face downs.

 _I know_

"Not so fast! I activate my face down, Majesty with Eyes of Blue! By sending one "Blue Eyes" from my hand or deck to the graveyard, I can target one monster on the field, and it cannot attack while it's still on the field!" Kaiba intercepted. "I send one Blue Eyes Alternative White Dragon from my deck, now your Fool of Prophecy cannot attack."

"Whew...thanks, Kaiba." Joey breathed out in relief.

"Thank the pharaoh for nagging my head to work with you." Kaiba scoffed.

"Well, I'm still thankin ya anyways, ya listened to him. About time, too. He's always been tryin to get it through yer head ta work with us better." The blonde brushed off the brunettes attitude.

"Hmph." Kaiba crossed his arms.

 _He's right, you know._ Atemu had a smug expression on his face.

 _Were you always this annoying with Yugi?_

 _Aibou and I always enjoy our conversations._ Atemu pouted.

 _Stop pouting._ Kaiba twitched, a mix of annoyance and something the pharaoh couldn't register when the other's feelings were quickly repressed.

 _Anyways, Kaiba. Thank you._

 _I didn't do it for you._

 _Just accept my gratitude, Kaiba._ Atemu rolled his eyes.

 _...Just this once, then._ The CEO finally relented.

 _Pharaoh two, Kaiba zero._

 _This isn't a game, pharaoh!_ Kaiba snapped, the mood gone.

"I end my turn. And now Fool of Prophecy's effect activates! I tribute my Spellcaster to summon Prophecy Destroyer (Spellcaster/Effect ATK 2500/200)!"

A large creature with horns on its head, eyes glowing red as it hungrily eyed it's opponents. Large wings spread out as if it were stretching, and then the wings furled at it's sides. Once again Spellbook Star Hall raised Alasdair's monster by 500.

"C'mon! Now dat's not fair!" Joey grumbled.

"Stop your yapping and draw." Kaiba growled, becoming more annoyed by the minute.

Alasdair released a cold, bitter laugh that sent shivers down everyone's spines.


	8. The Prophetic Duel Part Two

Chapter Eight The Prophetic Duel Part Two

=3=

Alasdair: 7500

Kaiba: 8000

Joey: 5100

Atemu felt his heart sink. He glanced over at Kaiba and Joey with growing concern. He bit his lip, and once again he wished there was more that he could do. It wasn't often he was reduced to be of any help, and he felt powerless.

 _I hate this feeling! I feel so useless!_

 _I hate admitting this, but you're helping out as well as you can._ Kaiba assured as best he could.

 _Yes but I hate sitting back and watching the people I care about get hurt!_

 _Do you have so little faith in us? Wheeler and I might not be the best at this tag team shit, but we're faring better than the first time you and I tag teamed._ Kaiba pointed out.

 _True. It's just..._ _It's not that I don't have faith in you guys. You know what I'm talking about, right? I'm a fighter by heart, and unable to fight is..._ Atemu trailed off.

 _I understand. It's killing you inside not being able to fight a threat. Alasdair made this even more personal by targeting you, and we're fighting for you._ Kaiba knew what he was trying to say.

 _It doesn't help when he has Mokuba and Aibou hostage..._ An idea struck Atemu, and Kaiba could sense his gears working overdrive.

 _What are you planning?_ He glanced over at the pharaoh curiously.

 _I don't know if it will work..._ Atemu was apprehensive.

 _Use it as a last resort, then._ Kaiba suggested.

"It's my turn!" Joey drew, going over his hand.

"Okay! Watch dis! I summon Masaki the Legendary Swordsman (Warrior ATK 1100/1100)! Next, I activate da spell Symbols of Duty! By sending one normal monsta to da graveyard, then target one monsta from either graveyard and special summon it!" Joey grinned ear to ear.

"Why you..." The redhead angrily grumbled.

"Say hello to my pal Red Eyes Black Dragon! Didn't think ya would see him again, huh?" The blonde chuckled as his ace card returned to full glory.

"I equip Symbols of Duty to Red Eyes. It doesn't raise it's attack power or nothin. But! I'm not done! I activate da spell Inferno Fire Blast! With Red Eyes on da field, ya take damage equal to it's attack! Da only drawback is I can't attack dis turn."

Alasdair growled as the spell took effect. His legs shook from the pain of the red flame aimed at him. Once again he refused to scream.

Alasdair: 5100

"Nice comeback, Joey! You're doing great!" Tristan cheered.

"Just don't let him wipe out your Red Eyes this time!" Duke advised.

"Thanks, guys. Next, I place one card face down an end my turn." Joey, although nervous, felt ready this time around.

"My turn again!" Alasdair drew his card, and Solemn Wishes raised his life points.

Alasdair: 5600

"I summon Temperance of Prophecy (Spellcaster/Effect ATK 1000/1000)."

A robed and hooded sorcerer appeared next to Prophecy Destroyer. The robes were brown, and the face nearly hidden from the hood seemed ominous.

"I activate Spellbook of Fate, which allows me to banish one to three Spellbooks from my graveyard to activate one of three effects."

Temperance of Prophecy (ATK 1600)

Prophecy Destroyer (ATK 3100)

"What effects are dat?" Joey grew nervous, and he wasn't the only one.

"If I banish one, then I can target one facedown spell or trap and return it to the owner's hand. If I banish two, then I can change a monster to defense face down position, or flip a monster. If I banish three..." Alasdair smirked, eyes flashing. "I can banish one monster on the field."

Everyone felt their stomachs sink. Alasdair had three or four Spellbooks in his graveyard.

"I choose to banish three Spellbooks; Spellbook of Power, Spellbook of Secrets, and Spellbook of Master to banish Neo Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!"

"It's not going down by itself! I activate my trap, Anti-Spell Prism! When my opponent has activated a quick play spell card, then I can select one card on the field and destroy it! I choose your Prophecy Destroyer!" Kaiba wasn't happy his best card was to be sacrificed, but Prophecy Destroyer had to be destroyed.

The grand dragon growled in protest, but nonetheless it latched onto Prophecy Destroyer, which clawed at the dragon. Neo Blue Eyes was then banished while Prophecy Destroyer was sent to the graveyard.

"All you've done is prolong your doom! Temperance of Prophecy, attack Kaiba's life points directly!"

"Not so fast! Yer not gettin ta Kaiba dat easy, I activate my trap, Kunai With Chain! I can activate one or both effects simultaneously when my opponent declares an attack. I choose ta target ya Temperance of Prophecy and switch it to defense position!" Joey stepped in, which Kaiba was silently grateful.

 _That saves my other trap for a more dire situation._

 _Told you he can be resourceful in a pinch._ Atemu smirked triumphantly.

 _Can we not right now?_

"I place one card face down and end my turn."

Kaiba drew, and paled. Things weren't in his favor this turn. He hated playing solely defensive, he was always someone who used power as both defensive and offensive.

"I play Keeper of the Shrine (Dragon/Effect ATK 0/2100) in defense mode. Before I end my turn, I place one card facedown and end my turn." Kaiba couldn't do anything else.

 _You're doing good, at least you have a monster on the field._

 _Yes, but for how long?_

"My turn!" Alasdair drew, his smirk sinister with a dark undertone.

Alasdair: 6100

"What are you smiling about?" Kaiba hated his gut instinct.

"I activate Temperance of Prophecy's ability! If I activated a Spellbook in my previous turn, I can tribute it to special summon one light or dark spellcaster level 5 or higher from my deck."

"I got a bad feelin about dis..." Joey frowned.

"As you should! The monster I choose is World of Prophecy (Spellcaster/Effect ATK 2900/2400) in attack mode!"

Temperance of Prophecy was tributed, and what took its place was a sorcerer in all white robes, and from it's back were six wings. It would be considered beautiful, if it weren't a creature that could potentially end this duel.

"I activate my monster's ability! When World of Prophecy is special summoned to the field by a card effect, I can then retrieve two Spellbooks from my graveyard and add them to my hand. I choose Spellbook of Fate, since it is currently the only Spellbook on my graveyard."

"Are you done yet?" Kaiba was anxious.

"There's more! I activate the other effect of World of Prophecy! When I add cards to my hand by this effect, I can then reveal up to four Spellbooks with different names, then I can destroy all other cards on the field."

"Are ya kiddin me!?" Joey exclaimed.

"I'm afraid not. So, every card besides World of Prophecy is destroyed." Alasdair laughed as all cards, even his own were destroyed.

 _This isn't good! You're both defenseless!_

 _I know that, pharaoh!_

"I now summon Strength of Prophecy (Spellcaster/Effect ATK 1500/1400). And then I activate another Spellbook Star Hall. Followed by it, I activate Spellbook of Power, and I choose to power up World of Prophecy!"

World of Prophecy (ATK 4000)

Strength of Prophecy (ATK 1600)

"Dis is not good! Definitely NOT good!" Joey was on the verge of panicking.

"I activate Strength of Prophecy's effect. Once per turn, I can shuffle one Spellbook from my graveyard to my deck and shuffle it. When this is done, I can raise the level of one Spellcaster monster on my field, as well as raise it's attack by 500."

"Let me save your breath. You're choosing your World of Prophecy." Kaiba was shaking with fury.

"Right you are, Kaiba. I return Spellbook of Power back to my deck."

World of Prophecy (ATK 4500)

"Now, which one shall I attack...?" Alasdair debated, eyeing between Joey and Kaiba.

 _He's toying with us!_ Atemu hissed.

 _I'm going to regret this later._

 _What are you doing?_ Atemu stared at the brunette with dread.

"Why not have a crack at me, Alasdair? You have yet to cause any damage to my life points! So, go ahead, attack me! Unless you don't have the guts!" Kaiba held his arms out.

"Kaiba..." Joey stared with a mix of surprise and awe.

"He's actually covering for Joey?" Tristan was beside himself, and he wasn't the only one.

"It looks like it." Tea could hardly believe her eyes and ears.

"This is going to hurt." Ryou warned, remembering the intense pain of direct attacks during shadow games.

"Very well then! Since you volunteered, World of Prophecy, attack Kaiba's life points directly!" Alasdair was too delighted to oblige.

The six winged spellcaster created an orb of light, allowing it to grow massive before sending it straight at Kaiba. Even though he braced for the impact, he couldn't hold back his scream of agony. The brunette was reduced to his knees.

Kaiba: 3500

 _Kaiba!_ Atemu knelt next to him. He tried to put a hand on the other's back, but his arm went through him.

 _Kaiba..._

"C'mon! Da Kaiba I know doesn't give up! Ya can do it, stand up!" Joey encouraged.

"You got this, man!"

"Remember what you're fighting for!"

"Ya, dat man's got Yuge and Mokuba. We're fightin fer 'em, and dat means no giving up!" The blonde offered a hand.

Alasdair laughed at the display. His voice was a higher pitch, as he found this sight ironic. He had watched these people fight and battle together to take down foe after foe. And this was the first time he's seen anyone cheer and support Kaiba so much.

"Oh, yeah? What's so funny!?" Joey challenged.

"Just the fact Kaiba here is being cheered on by you lot, when he's been an arch nemesis to the pharaoh, occasionally helping when either Mokuba or his company is under threat." Alasdair snickered.

"Dat may be so, but he's still one of us! He can be a jackass, but without him, we wouldn't have made it dis far! One of da reasons why da pharaoh and Yugi are so strong, is dat Kaiba pushed 'em to go beyond their best! Yugi wouldn't have won his duel against da pharaoh if it weren't fer Kaiba!" Joey defended.

 _Heh...remind me to treat Wheeler later._

Kaiba slowly stood up. He almost lost balance, but he refused to fall face flat. He regained his composure and stood tall, doing his best to regulate his breathing again.

 _Pharaoh, I don't know if we can actually last. I'm not giving up, but our chances are deceasing with each of his turns._

Atemu remained kneeling, refusing to meet Kaiba's eye. Kaiba didn't get to communicate anymore when Alasdair decided to attack with Strength of Prophecy.

"I attack Joey's life points!" Alasdair decided to switch to the blonde.

"Gah!" Joey was knocked back a few feet, landing on his back. He struggled to sit up, legs shaking more violently than the previous time he was attacked. Even so he managed to stand.

Joey: 3500

"Dis is nothing..." The blonde wasn't fooling anyone, he was leaning one side to favor a leg.

"In a few more turns, I can wipe you both out. I end my turn." Alasdair chuckled darkly.

World of Prophecy (ATK 3500)

"Oh, man...it hurts to move." Joey grunted in pain as he struggled to keep balance when he raised his arms to draw.

"You can do it, Joey!" Tristan cheered.

"I play Red Eyes Wyvern (Dragon/Effect ATK 1800/1600) in defense mode. I place one card facedown an end my turn."

 _This is bad, he has you both cornered._ Atemu bit his lip, looking from Kaiba to Joey.

 _He has complete control over the field. No matter how hard we push, he pushes harder._ Kaiba grit his teeth.

 _A few more turns and neither of you will last._ Atemu was distraught, a wave of sadness filled through him.

"This is bad, really bad guys." Tristan was trying not to panic.

"What can they do? Each time they finally bring out a strong monster, he easily destroys them and bring out a nastier monster than the last." Tea was on the verge of crying.

"If this is how we feel, I can't imagine how the pharaoh feels. Even though we can't see him, he must be feeling worse than all of us right now." Ryou frowned.

"The way things are looking, it's not good for anyone." Duke stated with a grim tone.

Alasdair was having a field day. He was laughing insanely, as he felt victory was near. He had doubts he could face Kaiba and Joey, but it seemed he didn't have to worry at all. The power was getting to his head.

 _Enough._ Atemu had enough. This was the last straw.

"What are you doing? Hey!" Kaiba reached for him, but his hand went through the spirit that was walking away.

"What is he doin, Kaiba?" Joey, although he couldn't see Atemu, he could sense him. And he could sense the pharaoh moving away from them.

Kaiba ignored the blonde. He put two and two together and almost started panicking. It was a risky move, and they weren't even sure if it could be done.

"Are you insane!? You don't even know if that will work!" The brunette yelled.

 _At least I can say I tried!_ Atemu replied, his spirit form becoming a ball of golden light. Eyes were on him now that he could somewhat be seen.

The golden orb raced to the other side of the platform. Alasdair raised an arm up, but Atemu bypassed him completely. He aimed straight to Yugi.

 _Forgive me, Aibou._

The golden orb entered Yugi, and a golden aura enveloped his body. His body changed, his hair transitioned from Yugi to Atemu. Blank violet eyes opened, blinking.

"What!? How? How can you posses him without the Puzzle!?" All Alasdair received for an answer was a devilish smirk before Atemu disappeared.

A second later he reappeared in the middle of the platform, in between Alasdair and his friends. Shadows danced around his feet, as he faced the redhead.

"Alasdair! While I do admire your reasoning behind what you're doing, I cannot allow you to finish! You tried to render me useless so I won't duel against you. It would have been better off facing me head on! For all you've done is concur my wrath." Atemu's voice darkened at the last sentence.

Shadows grew around him, responding to his anger.

"What are you going to do? It's too late for you to take part of this duel." Alasdair put up a front.

"Penalty Game! I hereby sentence your soul to the Shadow Realm on the grounds of cheating! You wanted my soul, then you should have fought me instead of using cowardly methods to hide behind!" Atemu raised an arm.

"Come forth, Slifer the Sky Dragon!"

A beam of light appeared behind him, reaching high into the sky as the Shadow Realm opened up partially. The beam of light began to take shape of an elongated dragon, which curled around the tower. Long wings took shape and stretched out, and as it formed into the iconic red God, Slifer opened its main mouth with a roar that sent chills to everyone's bones.

Slifer eyed the man who dared to anger the pharaoh. It felt the same anger, same need to protect. The God growled deeply. No one could believe their eyes, after the Ceremonial Duel the God cards disappeared. They all assumed they would never see any of them again.

 _He went straight to a Penalty Game? But can he actually do that?_ Kaiba felt uneasy.

"Send him to the shadows." Atemu chuckled darkly.

Slifer opened it's main mouth wider, readying for an attack. However, as soon as it formed it's attack, the orb dissipated. The God hesitated, and one of the reasons why weren't too hard to figure out. Around Alasdair's neck, the Sennen Puzzle glowed brightly, as if protecting the man from the God.

A few seconds later Slifer's form began to weaken. The God protested, and Atemu nearly lost balance. A hand was at Yugi's chest, as the pharaoh struggled to remain. Atemu felt Yugi's nose begin to bleed, and a wave of dizziness reduced the pharaoh to his knees.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm amazed you're still able to possess Yugi, pharaoh! It's draining, isn't it, to possess him without the Puzzle? And to bring out a God that drains twice as fast as possessing a body, it's no wonder you haven't exhausted your very existence to nothing!" Alasdair laughed at the display before him.

"I will not...allow you to take my friends. Even if it kills me, I'll at least know I took you down with me!" Atemu strained to full height, but before he could order Slifer to continue Yugi's body doubled over, coughing.

Atemu tasted blood, and he could sense his partner coming to. Yugi was confused and panicking.

 _Mou hitori no boku! What's going on!? Why...why does it hurt...?_ Yugi's voice sounded he was about to cry.

 _Aibou...I'm sorry. I couldn't save anyone._ Atemu was willing to take Alasdair with him, but not if the chances of Yugi being dragged with them.

"Return...Slifer." Atemu weakly ordered, and the God let out a weak roar before it disappeared.

"Atemu! Buddy, are ya okay?" Joey ran to to his side, Kaiba at his heels.

The blonde knelt next to the pharaoh. That was when he saw the blood, and panicked.

"Pharaoh! Ya bleedin! Is Yuge gonna be okay? Why would ya do dis, pharaoh!?" Joey removed his jacket to wipe away the blood.

"I'm sorry...I didn't know the consequences of this. I simply did what I thought was right. I couldn't sit back anymore." Atemu was having a hard time breathing, and Yugi was getting tired.

 _Aibou, stop giving me your energy. Let me go._

 _No! I'm not losing you! After everything we've been through, this is not how I'm going to say goodbye to you!_

 _Aibou...you'll die. I can't...I can't..._

A sob wracked the body, Atemu leaned forward to hide his tears. But it was too late, Joey and Kaiba saw the tears. They shared a look, both at a loss for words.

Suddenly a cold, bitter rage filled Kaiba. His hands fisted tightly, the urge to punch the living hell out of Alasdair was strong. Instead he brunette focused on a part of himself he had been denying for far too long.

 _This is not how things will end!_

Kaiba sought out the hidden power from his past life. For so long he denied it because of his pride. Fuck his pride, if he didn't do something then he would lose. He would lose Mokuba, and Atemu will be stuck inside the Puzzle for eternity as long as the pieces were scattered.

He didn't know it, but a white aura enveloped his body. Joey and Atemu stared, feeling the intense energy being so close. They blocked their eyes as the light became too much. Kaiba let out a yell, almost a battle cry.

Across from them, Alasdair felt burning at his side. He flinched as he reached for the Sennen Rod at his hip. He stared at it, confused as it glowed brightly. Suddenly it burned his hand, and Alasdair screamed in pain as he threw it away from him out of reflex.

He didn't have the time to check the damage to his hand when a beam of heat and light drew his attention. The tower shook from the rage, and for a second everyone feared it would tumble underneath their feet. Then the beam began to take shape, the silhouette familiar.

By this time Kaiba was normal again. He stared at his hands, feeling different. He could sense the magic all around him, the power of each individual. Behind him he felt the very power of the being he had unintentionally called forth.

"No way...is dat...?" Joey stared in disbelief.

"Obelisk the Tormentor!" Atemu felt his chest swell at the sight.

 _He did it! He accepted his past life!_


	9. Awakened Seto

Death: I got inspiration for this story again. A few cute and also very hot ideas came to my head and would't leave me alone. So, here we are. Continuing this story. At some point there will be smut (not this chapter).

Chatper Nine Awakened Seto

=3=

"What!? But...But how? It is too early for you to be able to summon one of the three powerful Egyptian Gods!" Alasdair was beside himself in shock. And he wasn't the only one to be in a daze.

Alasdair: 6100

"Yeah...dat's what I wanna know! How did he summon it? Pharaoh, do you know anythin'?" Joey felt this was all too much to be real. He wondered if he somehow stepped into a dream or something.

Joey: 3500

"He accepted his past life. The power within his past self has now transferred over. Back then, he was my cousin. And he had the power to potentially summon the Gods." Atemu elaborated, feeling his pride swell inside his chest again.

 _You really wanted him to accept that part of himself, didn't you, pharaoh?_ Yugi was curious about the other's reaction.

 _I feel that he would be better off with himself if he accepted his past._

"It does not matter how! All that matters is that I plan to wipe you out, Alasdair! Now end your turn so I can finish you!" Seto didn't miss a beat, ready to give the order for the God to pulverize his opponent. Behind him Obelisk showed the same amount of eagerness as the man who summoned him.

Kaiba: 3500

 _For your sake, I hope you're right that this would be the best thing for Kaiba._ Yugi had his doubts.

"Tch! I place one card face down, and end my turn." Alasdair glared.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You really think your face down will change anything?" Kaiba drew. He eyed over his options before settling on simply going all out offense. And something in his eyes chilled Atemu's blood.

He had changed, all right. However, the former pharaoh had expected to see more of Priest Seto, or a healthy mix of his cousin in his past life and Seto Kaiba, the modern counterpart. Instead standing before him was neither, yet the same as both but so much more. The burning intensity in his deep blues were enough to trap anyone and everyone in them and burn them for eternity in some act of punishment for their wrongdoings. What disturbed Atemu even more so would the fact Kaibe appeared so _calm_ on the outside, yet it was clear by his eyes alone he wasn't calm at all.

 _Seto...?_ Little did he know, both Yugi and Seto heard his fear.

For a split second those eyes focused on the pharaoh possessed Yugi. Atemu felt the urge to run and hide, but he was too frozen by the burning gaze to move. It was similar to his observation of comparing Kaiba to a dragon in a human body. Yugi gulped, never had he felt such fear emanating from his other half. Not even when they faced so many evils in the world, even stretching across time and space, yet none of them compared to Kaiba at this moment. Briefly Yugi was grateful to have Kaiba on their side.

"I activate the spell card, Double Summon! This allows me to summon or set twice this turn. So, I bring forth Vorse Raider (ATK/1900 DEF/1200) and Versago the Destroyer (ATK/1100 DEF/900) in attack mode! Then, I offer them both up to Obelisk the Tormentor for his special ability! By absorbing them, his attack power is now infinate!"

The two monsters were absorbed into Obelisk, the blue god flexed as it took in the power. It groaned as the whole building shook at the God's raw power coming off of it in waves. The building shook so much it was similar to an earthquake. The motion and power vibrating through the atmosphere was too much for Atemu to hold onto Yugi's body any longer. He pulled away by force, and for a few seconds Yugi was passed out on the ground. As Atemu stood above Yugi, he felt a strong pull towards Kaiba, like gravity was pulling him to the taller.

 _What is this? I've never felt anything like it before. Such power...and all from Seto's awakening._

 _Since when are we on a first name basis, pharaoh?_

Atemu gasped at the realization. He hadn't meant to, and he forgot Kaiba could still read his thoughts. It didn't help those eyes were piercing through him as if he were under some sort of judgement. A sound escaped from the back of the former pharaoh's throat, a sound he didn't immediately recognize as a small whimper that almost turned into a whine if he hadn't flinched from the scrutiny. To his luck the violent shaking stopped.

"Obelisk, attack and pulverize World of Prophecy!"

The God raised one of its glowing fists in preparation for an attack, aiming for the much smaller monster before it. However, despite the dire situation Alasdair had one last trick up his sleeve. One that was unfair.

"I activate my trap! Contagion of Madness! Should I take battle damage this turn, you take half of the damage I receive!"

By now it was too late to call off the attack, Obelisk was in mid swing. Once the Egyptian God's fist connectec with its target the whole area was blinded by a white light as everyone within the duel felt the pain from the aftermath. Seconds after it started, it ended. Eyes blinked open to reveal Alasdair gone. He had taken his chance to bolt.

Alasdair: 0

Kaiba: 0

Joey: 0

"Where did that creep go?" Tristain asked, the first to say everyone's thoughts out loud.

"He has a knack of disappearing when it suits him most. He probably got too scared and ran with the tail between his legs." Kaiba crossed his arms, feeling quite prideful of himself.

 _It wasn't a complete loss, at least._

"Huh? What...? How did I get out here? I thought I was going over homework..." Mokuba woke up, rubbing his eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Mokuba." The elder brother stood before Mokuba, relieved to see he was fine.

"Nah, he deserves to know! Some punk came in an' tried to trap the pharaoh inside the puzzle again! Then he was plannin' on spreading the pieces all over da world so no one would be able to piece it together again." Joey explained.

"What! Is he maybe the same guy who stopped him from entering the door then?" Mokuba put two and two together.

"I think he was the same guy." Duke nodded.

"Does this mean he will try again in the future?" Tea inquired with worry.

"Probably. But next time someone wouldn't be falling for any tricks and be poisoned." Kaiba sent a look to the pharaoh.

 _I don't plan to be on the sidelines next time._ Atemu vowed.

"Why did he poison him again?" Tristan spoke up.

"Didn't I say it earlier? He was too much of a coward to face the pharaoh in a duel, so to better his chances he decided to cheat. What he didn't count on was choosing to target him while he's at my company." Kaiba scoffed, feeling quite proud of himself right now.

"So...what now? Man, I dunno about you guys, but that was so freakin' intense." Joey stood on shaky legs.

"Yeah...I feel dizzy." Yugi mumbled as he attempted to stand, only to collapse. The blond immediately reached out to steady him with a cry, but the shorter had already passed out.

"Yugi!" Nearly the whole crowd cried in unison as they rushed over.

Atemu was too preocuppied standing over the still glowing Sennen Rod. He stared down at it in wonder, all the while fighting off the fading in and out of blurry vision. A movement caught his eye and he looked up to Kaiba. Atemu shivered under the still intense gaze. This time he at least didn't make an embarrassing sound.

 _Take it. It was yours in the past. It will accept you in this life_ _, too._

 _After this, I deserve answers, pharaoh._ Kaiba resisted the urge to argue, and for that Atemu was grateful.

 _I will gladly give them to you later. I fear I don't think I would be able to wake up once I'm back in my normal body._

Without another word Kaiba picked up the golden item. To his surprise the glowing stoppped. It didn't burn him as it had done with Alisdair. After a short moment of contemplation, Kaiba raised it to Atemu. The eye glowed once more, and Atemu closed his eyes, placing his full trust within the other. A second later he felt the magic of the Rod push him back within his own body. Atemu didn't resist it as he delved into a dreamless sleep.

=3=

Seto didn't fully understand what had transpired during the duel, however he wasn't freaked out over it as he knew he should have been. Perhaps it had something to do with the part of himself that was Priest Seto, who hardly questioned what was going on around him and simply took it all in stride. It felt strange, being two different people yet the same at once. Questions ran through his head, questions that he knew would be added to his obsession list.

Instead of focusing on them however, he accepted to have his answers later. While he remained patient, he took the unconscious Mutous into the Kaiba Corp. medical ward within his company's building (he also forced Mokuba to be checked over just to be sure he was fine). And much to the others dismay, he didn't place them in the same room.

"Why can't they share a room, eh Kaiba? They're closer than most, ya know." Joey poked his head into the room Atemu was placed in, which happened to be where Seto was currently sitting to watch over the former pharaoh. Most of the others were inside Yugi's room across the hallway.

"Because at some point they have to learn how to be their own person. And, Atemu is my employee, which means his treatments and diagnosis is private information, even from Yugi." Seto didn't even glance up from his laptop. He was going over plans on how to improve the prototype duel disk Atemu had fixed.

 _The whole point of the Ceremonial Duel was to prove whether or not Yugi could live without the pharaoh. He proved it, even though I still feel Atemu threw the duel. Either way, Yugi shouldn't have to continue clinging onto him like a child._

"Then why are you sittin' here?" The blond frowned.

"I am his boss. For whatever reason he named me to be an exception to the private information in his papers. If you don't believe me, have Mokuba bring you a copy and see for yourself." Kaiba was surprised when the doctor informed him of this same informaion an hour before. He didn't believe it until he saw the papers himself. And to his surprise, Yugi and his friends weren't included in the list.

 _It shows he's trying to distance himself from them. Or he doesn't want them to worry when something happens._

"Ya sure ya didn't tamper with his papers?" Joey narrowed his eyes accusingly.

Seto finally tore his gaze away from the screen that had done so well to preoccupy him to glare at the imbecile who dared to accuse him of such nonsense. He had to give Joey credit for not running away crying, at least.

"How exactly does sitting beside his sick bed benefit me, when I have a company to run and a little brother to take care of?" He snapped with full venom in his voice.

 _How dare he accuse me. I gain nothing out of this._

"Okay, okay, jeez. Ya didn't have to bite my head off. So uh...why can't they even share the family rooms then? I've seen a few rooms tha' are huge while I was lookin' for some snacks earlier."

"Those are maternity wards. Meant for my employees who just gave birth." Seto grit his teeth.

"... Oh." Was all Joey would say before the room fell into an uncomfortable silence.

When Seto's focus was upon his laptop did the blond speak up again.

"I don't understand what's goin' on between you and the pharaoh. But, should ya ever hurt him, I don't care if ya could beat my ass. I'm comin' after ya, Kaiba." And with that Joey shuffled away to rejoin the others in Yugi's room. Seto stared after him, unsure what to make of the last few statements.

 _What was that_ _about?_

Kaiba shrugged it off and continued his work. Only to be interrupted again a few minutes later when someone stood by the door, hesitant to step inside in comparison to Joey barging in without knocking or checking if he had clearance. Because of this Kaiba was once again forced to tear his gaze away from work to see Duke standing in the doorway.

"What is it now? Come to lecture me like Wheeler did? Save your breath, I don't need to hear it." Seto snarled.

"Whoah, easy. I just came here to ask if you would like some coffee? I'm about to do a coffee run for everyone. How do you take yours?" Duke held his hands up, and the offer he made surprised the CEO.

"... You would really offer me a cup?" He wasn't sure if this was a dream or a hallucination. He could feel the Sennen Rod attached to his hip by his belt, and he knew how these items would sometimes go haywire and show him things.

"Well, yeah. You're kinda the reason why the pharaoh and Joey are still here. On top of that you went out of your way to have both Atemu and Yugi to be brought to your company's medical ward instead of the hospital. Figured I should show you some grattitude for everything, you know?" Duke raised an eyebrow.

"So uh...how do you take your coffee?" The dice master inquired once more.

Usually, Kaiba took it black and with nothing else. But for whatever reason different words came out of his mouth.

"Surprise me. I don't have a preference." To hide his embarrassment, Kaiba focused on his laptop.

"Do you mind if I make it how the pharaoh takes his coffee then?" Duke offered.

"Sure, whatever." Kaiba wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying.

"Okay, then. I'll be back shortly." The dice master promptly left.

It didn't dawn on Seto what he had agreed upon until some minutes later when Duke returned with a cup of coffee. He absent mindly took a sip out of habit, only to blink at the sweet taste meet his tongue. He stared at it and realized creamer and sugar had been mixed within. There was a hint of something else, though that took away the tooth rotten taste. He took another sip and identified cinnamon. To his surprise he wasn't all too bothered by it as he thought he would have been.

"So you like it?" Duke eyed him with a mix of awe and surprise.

"It'll do." Seto wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. But something was nagging the back of his brain. "Devlin."

"Yeah?" Duke turned around, having taken a few steps towards the room across the hallway.

"What made you decide to make it how the pharaoh prefers his coffee?" Seto glanced over his shoulder to meet the dice master's gaze. While his face was guarded there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"I don't know, you guys seem to be getting close. I figured why not?" The dark haired young man shrugged.

"You think we're close? I'm just his boss, letting him experiment a little just to see if he would succeed."

"And did he succeed? Because from what I saw in that duel with that prototype, I believe he did." Duke pointed out.

"He did. To be honest, I wasn't sure if he would pull it off or not. But he proved me wrong, like always." Seto admitted.

 _He did more than that. I transferred his files over from his computer to my laptop. He already had possible improvements and ideas to bring forth to me. And for the most part, these improvements seem solid enough that it can be done._

It was safe to say Seto was amazed. It was clear Atemu didn't fully understand the math or science behind his ideas, however that didn't stop him thinking outside the box. It was a talent of his that was his specialty no matter what the situation. It didn't matter if it was a duel or completing a prototype duel disk. If he put his mind into something he would do it until the task was completed.

"Then why aren't you two close? You know, when I first heard of you offering Atemu a job, I thought it would be like how the two of you dueled; crash and burn. The way you two butt heads made me think it wouldn't work out too well. But, somehow, you guys proved me wrong. And watching you being protective over him tells me you're actually putting effort into this. That says a lot from someone like you, who push everyone away." Duke had a few points.

Seto stared, unsure how to respond to the observation. He hadn't thought he had come off as protective. He was only ensuring the pharaoh would be all right after being poisoned and the ordeal of his soul almost being trapped within the Sennen Puzzle again. This time it would have been against his will. And all just because of some prophecy that Alisdair wanted to divert? Seto made a mental note to contact the Ishtars at some point to see if they knew anything about some prophecy, or at least know anything about the Plana and eight item.

"I suppose now would be a good time as any to get closer to him. And Kaiba? Thanks. For everything you've done."

"Why are you thanking me?" Seto stared.

"After his second chance, Atemu seemed kinda down. But since you gave him this job he's slowly coming around to his old self. I was actually getting a bit worried he would become too depressed from losing his shot at the afterlife."

 _He was depressed? Here I thought it was just boredom..._

Seto realized then his words might have been too harsh when he made the offer some weeks prior. He didn't really feel regret, mainly guilt. It was rare of him to feel guilt over anything he had said or done. He still felt Atemu was selfish for throwing the duel to Yugi, and then as the world fell apart he didn't even try to save himself. The latter was something he would never forgive, especially when it came to the pharaoh.

 _What I don't understand is why I can't let this go. Even after a few months, his actions still pisses me off._

It wasn't like he and the pharaoh were close. So why was Seto taking that situation personally? This was a question that had been bothering him since the incident happened. Perhaps it was as simple as never imagining the pharaoh of all people giving up so easily like that without the consideration of everyone else. And yet Seto felt unsatisfied with this answer that he had originally concluded. Now he wasn't so sure what his answer was to the question that haunted him.

As he thought over these thoughts, Seto had taken sips of the coffee without fully knowing until he attempted to take a sip and found there was no more in the cup. He had been so lost in his thoughts he didn't even realize when Duke had left to join the rest of the group in Yugi's room. Seto sat in his chair, silently debating whether or not to get up and make himself another cup of coffee. When the craving for the new acquired taste in the beverage was greater than going back to work, Seto closed his laptop and left to the coffee machine down the hall.

Without hesitation he knew exactly what was used and how much to recreate the taste of his previous cup. When it was done and he took a sip to confirm it was indeed the same, Seto returned to the room. Just as he passed through the door he noticed slight movement from the bed. He stopped short to watch as Atemu woke up. The pharaoh yawned, not fully awake yet to notice he wasn't alone in the room until he glanced up.

"Is that for me?" Atemu blinked with anticipation when the aroma of the hot beverage met his nose.

The CEO considered for a moment before answering.

"You can only have a few sips. You're supposed to be resting." Seto reluctantly handed over the mug.

"Doctor's orders or yours?" Atemu slowly sat up to accept the mug.

"Both." Seto admitted, watching as the pharaoh took a sip after blowing the steam away.

 _It seems we can't read each other's thoughts. Good. I hated the vulnerability of all of my thoughts known to him._

"This...how did you know how I preferred my coffee?" Atemu stared in wonder.

"Your friend Duke prepared a cup of coffee for me. He informed me he made it how you liked it. I was able to recreate the flavor after only one cup." The brunette shrugged like it was nothing to be proud about.

"You figured it all out after only one cup?" The pharaoh was still in a daze to fully comprehend.

"Yes. As a cook, I can easily determine what ingredients were used and guess how much was used to create something."

"You can cook? I didn't know you can cook." Atemu stared in admiration and interest. "That's a talent of yours I didn't know you had, Kaiba."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." For some reason that sounded too awkward, so Seto added, "Just like how I didn't know you liked to cook for your friends."

"It's a past time I picked up to cure my boredom. Then it became a passion. I just wish I could learn more. I have trouble with some of the native foods here that Yugi likes." Atemu admitted with a slight frown.

 _I can't believe I'm going to offer this. But he's different from everyone else._

"There's a hidden bedroom joined with my office. Inside is a kitchen with a number of cookbooks. If you ever feel like you need to cook, you're free to use the kitchen on the condition you tell no one else about the hidden bedroom. No one needs to know my private business like that." Seto hated the idea of anyone knowing he part time lived in his office. He only stayed there during long nights and short number of days to meet a deadline approaching.

"You...would actually do that for me? But why? I mean, I don't want to sound ungrateful. I'll take you up on your offer and not tell a soul. But why are you allowing me to use your personal kitchen?" Atemu eyed him like he grew an extra head.

"I trust you enough that I'm opening up to you. And it might also be because I might request of you to help me cook during overtime. Or remind me to take breaks and eat. Mokuba always gets on my case for not eating enough."

 _That's not something most of my staff don't even know._

The brunette was honest with his answer. He watched as the pharaoh contemplated, thinking over the choice of words. He knew his mind was made up when he smiled warmly, violet red eyes lighting up. He even let out a breathy chuckle, the kind that could make anyone weak in the knees. Seto didn't feel weak in the knees, however he felt a strange twinge in his chest at the sound.

"Thank you, Seto. I'll be sure to remember that when I have to work overtime in the future."

First name basis again, however this time Seto was too concerned over his reaction to a simple chuckle to really care. Instead of allowing himself to slip and the pharaoh catch onto anything, he snatched the mug away just as he was about to take his fifth sip. Atemu pouted but didn't argue over the loss.

"Get some rest. You're spending the weekend here to recover. No ifs or buts about it, understand?"

"Yes, sir." Atemu's sarcastic tone was drowned out by a yawn.

"Oh, and pharaoh? Be sure to never accept coffee from anyone else, unless it's from me. In fact, the same goes for food unless you or your friends made it. I can't risk losing you to your readiness to trust everyone." Seto glared in all seriousness.

"I understand. Thanks, Seto." Atemu sleepily responded as he laid down, eyes droopy.

"Good. Now get some rest. That's an order."

"Are any of the others awake still?" The pharaoh yawned again.

Seto peeked his head out into the hallway. He didn't hear anything but snores coming from Yugi's room.

"They're all asleep I think." He wasn't going to check either way.

 _I don't feel like interacting with them or their questions._

"Then...can you do me a favor? Can you stay with me? I know it's silly of me, but I don't want to be alone tonight." Atemu bit his lip, diverting his gaze to the floor in his moment of weakness.

For whatever reason Seto didn't have the urge to gloat about the state the pharaoh was in.

"All right." Seto turned off the lights and reclaimed his seat and opened up his laptop.

"Seto?" Atemu's tired voice spoke up after a few long minutes of silence.

"Hm." The brunette glanced up from the improvements he was reading on.

"Thank you." Atemu yawned one final time before pulling the blankets to better protect him from the cold.

Seto didn't verbally respond. He didn't trust himself when he realized then and there he forgot he had taken off his white trench coat earlier to wrap around the pharaoh's unconscious body earlier. He only remembered then and there when he noticed that underneath the blanket the shoulder part of his coat stuck out as Atemu cuddled with it. To take his mind off the mistake he continued reading to distract himself.

 _What is happening to me?_

Not even the part of him that was his past life knew. Seto wasn't sure whether or not to be disturbed by that.


End file.
